Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैर्यजत्येकः सदक्षिणैः । पश्यत्यन्यो हृषीकेशं चातुर्मास्यं समाहितः

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādibhiryajñairyajatyekaḥ sadakṣiṇaiḥ | paśyatyanyo hṛṣīkeśaṃ cāturmāsyaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

ایک شخص اگنِشٹوم وغیرہ یگیہ پجاریوں کی دکشنا سمیت ادا کرتا ہے؛ مگر دوسرا، ثابت قدم ذہن کے ساتھ، چاتُرمَاسیہ میں ہریشیکیش کے درشن کرتا ہے—اسی کو بڑی تر دستیابی کہا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: with (rites) beginning with Agniṣṭoma
• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agniṣṭoma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तृतीया-बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निष्टोमः आदिः येषां तैः)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• यजति: sacrifices, worships
• यजति: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सदक्षिणैः: with priestly fees (accompanied by gifts)
• सदक्षिणैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (सहिताः दक्षिणाभिः)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हृषीकेशम्: Hṛṣīkeśa
• हृषीकेशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्यम्: Cāturmāsya observance
• चातुर्मास्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed, intent
• समाहितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana in Cāturmāsya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic sacrificial ground with altars and priests offering oblations; beside it, a quiet shrine where a devotee beholds Hṛṣīkeśa during Cāturmāsya, suggesting the ‘greater attainment’ lies in the latter.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Dakṣiṇā
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Vedic-scale ritual excellence is secondary to focused devotion and direct God-realization through darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on the sacred season of Cāturmāsya and the supreme value of Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Agniṣṭoma and related yajñas with dakṣiṇā, contrasted with Cāturmāsya discipline culminating in seeing Hṛṣīkeśa.