Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

तैलाभ्यंगो न कर्त्तव्यो न कार्यं गमनं क्वचित् । तीर्थसेवा प्रकर्त्तव्या तस्मिंश्चागमनं शुभम्

Transliteration

tailābhyaṃgo na karttavyo na kāryaṃ gamanaṃ kvacit | tīrthasevā prakarttavyā tasmiṃścāgamanaṃ śubham

Translation

ไม่พึงทำการนวดชโลมน้ำมัน และไม่พึงเที่ยวเร่ร่อนไปที่อื่น ควรบำเพ็ญการรับใช้ตถีรถะ (tīrtha) นั้น; และการไปยังตถีรถะนั้นเป็นมงคล

Word by Word

• तैल-अभ्यङ्गः: oil-massage
• तैल-अभ्यङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तैलस्य अभ्यङ्गः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• कर्तव्यः: should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• कार्यम्: to be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive)

• गमनम्: going, travel
• गमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere; at any time
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ‘anywhere/ever’)

• तीर्थ-सेवा: service/attendance of the sacred place
• तीर्थ-सेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य सेवा)

• प्रकर्तव्या: should be performed
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) उपसर्ग प्र- + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• तस्मिन्: there; in that (place/time)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आगमनम्: coming; arrival
• आगमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + अन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (आगमनम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra tīrtha (Prabhāsa sphere)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in simple attire refrains from comforts, stays near the tīrtha, and serves—sweeping steps, offering water, assisting other pilgrims—while the sacred shoreline/kshetra landscape frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• tailābhyaṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow is strengthened by restraint and sacred focus—avoiding indulgence and directing one’s steps toward tīrtha and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The text praises tīrtha-sevā within the Vastrāpathakṣetra context of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (the specific tīrtha is not named in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid oil massage and unnecessary roaming; instead, go to and serve the tīrtha as an auspicious act.