Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । गृहेऽपि देवा हरविष्णुमुख्या जलानि दर्भा नृपते तिलाश्च । अनेकदेशांतरदर्शनार्थं मनो निवार्यं नृपते त्वयेति

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | gṛhe'pi devā haraviṣṇumukhyā jalāni darbhā nṛpate tilāśca | anekadeśāṃtaradarśanārthaṃ mano nivāryaṃ nṛpate tvayeti

Translation

สารถสวตะกล่าวว่า: ข้าแต่พระราชา แม้อยู่ในเรือนก็มีเทพสถิต—โดยเฉพาะหระ (พระศิวะ) และพระวิษณุ—พร้อมทั้งน้ำ หญ้าทรรภะ และงา ดังนั้นข้าแต่พระราชา จงยับยั้งจิตที่แล่นออกไปเพียงเพื่อเที่ยวชมแดนต่าง ๆ

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (the sage)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative Singular); वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative Singular)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)

• हरिविष्णुमुख्याः: chief among them—Hara and Viṣṇu
• हरिविष्णुमुख्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि + विष्णु + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural); द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः: (हरि-विष्णु) इति द्वन्द्वः, तेषां मुख्याः (मुख्य) इति विशेषणम्

• जलानि: waters
• जलानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)

• दर्भाः: darbha grasses
• दर्भाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative Singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (नृणां पतिः)

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अनेकदेशान्तरदर्शनार्थम्: for the purpose of seeing many other lands
• अनेकदेशान्तरदर्शनार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक + देश + अन्तर + दर्शन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative Singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (अनेकदेशान्तरस्य दर्शनस्य अर्थम् = for the purpose of seeing many other regions)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• निवार्यम्: should be restrained
• निवार्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वारय् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (is to be restrained)

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana/Agent (कर्ता-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Bhoja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata instructs Bhoja: a simple home-altar is shown with a water pot, darbha bundle, and sesame; subtle presence of Śiva and Viṣṇu indicated as divine radiance behind the humble setup; the king listens, chastened.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Hara (Śiva)
• Viṣṇu
• water (jala)
• darbha
• sesame (tila)
• Bhoja (king, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not mere sightseeing; without inner restraint and daily dharmic worship, travel does not mature into spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though advising restraint, the teaching occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference is made to household ritual supports—jala (water), darbha, and tila—implying regular worship and śrāddha/offerings as foundational.