Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वेदस्मृतिपुराणैश्च ये न पश्यंति भूतलम् । पातालं स्वर्गलोकं च वंचितास्ते नरा इह

Transliteration

vedasmṛtipurāṇaiśca ye na paśyaṃti bhūtalam | pātālaṃ svargalokaṃ ca vaṃcitāste narā iha

Translation

ผู้ใดอาศัยพระเวท สมฤติ และปุราณะแล้วไม่หยั่งเห็นสภาวะแท้ของภูโลก ปาตาล และสวรรค์โลก—ผู้นั้นย่อมถูกลวงและถูกพรากในโลกนี้เอง

Word by Word

• वेदस्मृतिपुराणैः: by the Vedas, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas
• वेदस्मृतिपुराणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (वेदाः स्मृतयः पुराणानि च)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूतलम्: the earth/ground
• भूतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पातालम्: the netherworld
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• स्वर्गलोकम्: the heavenly world
• स्वर्गलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गस्य लोकः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वञ्चिताः: deprived/cheated
• वञ्चिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वञ्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वञ्च् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher recites from palm-leaf manuscripts (Veda–Smṛti–Purāṇa) to pilgrims; behind them, symbolic earth, heaven, and netherworld appear as layered realms; some listeners remain veiled by mist (delusion).

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Smṛti
• Purāṇa
• Pātāla
• Svarga-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śāstra-guided discernment matters; ignoring Veda–Smṛti–Purāṇa leads to confusion about life, afterlife, and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra discourse positions tīrtha-māhātmya as part of Purāṇic guidance for right living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; the prescription is adherence to śāstric teaching as the basis for dharma and pilgrimage practice.