Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

नरो नारी नृपश्रेष्ठ शिवलोके महीयते । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य भद्रस्य च सुभाषितम्

Transliteration

naro nārī nṛpaśreṣṭha śivaloke mahīyate | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya bhadrasya ca subhāṣitam

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราชผู้ประเสริฐ ไม่ว่าชายหรือหญิง ย่อมได้รับเกียรติในโลกของพระศิวะ ครั้นได้สดับวาจาอันไพเราะของภัทระแล้ว (เรื่องราวดำเนินต่อไป)

Word by Word

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• nārī: woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• nṛpaśreṣṭha: O best of kings
• nṛpaśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• śivaloke: in Śiva’s world
• śivaloke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaloka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• mahīyate: is honored / is glorified
• mahīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• vacanam: speech; words
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• bhadrasya: of Bhadra
• bhadrasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• subhāṣitam: well-spoken words; good saying
• subhāṣitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग) + bhāṣita (प्रातिपदिक; √bhāṣ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial base)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; narrative reports ‘Bhadra’ speaking within Skanda’s discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpathakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa-śreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A storyteller-sage ‘Bhadra’ speaks before a seated king; men and women pilgrims listen together with folded hands; behind them a Śiva shrine and a faint vision of Śivaloka—radiant, calm, and welcoming.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivaloka
• Bhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual fruit at the tīrtha is not restricted by gender; sincere devotion leads to honor in Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, within a broader phalaśruti about attaining Śivaloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it summarizes the fruit (Śivaloka-honor) and transitions via Bhadra’s statement.