Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तान्दृष्ट्वा व्रजतः स्वर्गं समत्स्यान्मत्स्यजीविनः । सामात्यभृत्यो नृपतिर्विस्मयादिदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tāndṛṣṭvā vrajataḥ svargaṃ samatsyānmatsyajīvinaḥ | sāmātyabhṛtyo nṛpatirvismayādidamabravīt

Translation

جب بادشاہ نے اُن مچھیرے لوگوں کو، مچھلیوں سمیت، سُوَرگ کی طرف جاتے دیکھا تو وہ اپنے وزیروں اور خادموں کے ساتھ حیرت میں یہ کلمات بول اٹھا۔

Word by Word

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्म (them)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• vrajataḥ: (as they were) going
• vrajataḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन/बहुवचन-रूपसाम्ये सन्दर्भतः प्रथमा-द्विवचन-सम्बद्धं वर्तमानकाले ‘going’ इति; परन्तु रूपतः ‘व्रजतः’ = वर्तमानकृदन्त? (शतृ/शानच्) न; अत्र तिङन्त-रूपेण ग्रहणम्—‘they go’ (contextual)

• svargam: to heaven
• svargam: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गन्तव्य (to heaven)

• sa-matsyān: together with fishes
• sa-matsyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-matsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः ‘सह मत्स्यैः’ → ‘समत्स्य’ (together-with-fishes)

• matsya-jīvinaḥ: fish-livers, fishermen
• matsya-jīvinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matsya + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मत्स्यैः जीवति’/‘मत्स्यजीविनः’ (those who live by fish; fishermen)

• sa-āmātya-bhṛtyaḥ: with his ministers and servants
• sa-āmātya-bhṛtyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + āmātya + bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘सह अमात्यैः भृत्यैः च’ → ‘सामात्यभृत्यः’ (accompanied by ministers and servants)

• nṛpatiḥ: the king
• nṛpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• vismayāt: from astonishment
• vismayāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (out of astonishment)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (this)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the shore of Prabhāsa, a king with ministers and attendants watches astonished as fisherfolk rise heavenward in a luminous ascent; fish accompany them, suggesting a miraculous, compassionate elevation tied to the tīrtha’s power.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king)
• āmātya (ministers)
• bhṛtya (attendants)
• matsyajīvinaḥ (fisherfolk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Witnessing the fruits of dharma at a tīrtha awakens faith and wonder, prompting inquiry into the power of holiness and virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where extraordinary dharmic outcomes are shown as visible and immediate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up the king’s praise of saintly service and tīrtha power.