Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

फलाकांक्षाप्रवृत्तानि जपयज्ञतपांसि च । सत्यानृतान्वितो लोको द्वापरे सुरसत्तम

Transliteration

phalākāṃkṣāpravṛttāni japayajñatapāṃsi ca | satyānṛtānvito loko dvāpare surasattama

Translation

دواپر یُگ میں جپ، یَجْن اور تپسیا ثواب کی امید سے کیے جاتے ہیں؛ اے بہترین دیوتا، دنیا سچ اور جھوٹ کے آمیزے سے بھری رہتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• फलाकाङ्क्षा: desire for results
• फलाकाङ्क्षा: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आकाङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘desire for fruit/result’ (as first member in compound)

• प्रवृत्तानि: undertaken
• प्रवृत्तानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+वृत् (धातु) → प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Past participle used adjectivally: ‘engaged/undertaken’ (agreeing with जपयज्ञतपांसि)

• जपयज्ञतपांसि: japa, sacrifices, and austerities
• जपयज्ञतपांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (japa, sacrifice, and austerities)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: ‘and’)

• सत्य: truth
• सत्य: Samahara (Member of compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; first member in द्वन्द्व (truth)

• अनृत: falsehood
• अनृत: Samahara (Member of compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; second member in द्वन्द्व (falsehood)

• अन्वितः: mixed with
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु+इ (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘endowed/combined with’ (agreeing with लोकः)

• लोकः: the world/people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara age
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in Dvāpara)

• सुरसत्तम: O best of gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (O best of gods)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: surasattama (addressed deity; likely a divine interlocutor in the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic yuga-panel: ascetics chanting japa, priests conducting yajña, and tapasvins in austerity—yet subtle visual cues of desire (offerings, rewards, royal patronage) and a background crowd showing mixed truth and falsehood.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāpara-yuga
• Japa
• Yajña
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practice can be weakened by fruit-seeking; purity of intention matters as much as the act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse offers a yuga-wise ethical diagnosis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, yajña, and tapas are mentioned, with a caution that they are often performed for desired results in Dvāpara.