Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

सेव्याः श्रेयोऽर्थिभिः सन्तः पुण्यतीर्थे जलोपमाः । क्षणो पासनमप्यत्र न येषां निष्फलं भवेत्

Transliteration

sevyāḥ śreyo'rthibhiḥ santaḥ puṇyatīrthe jalopamāḥ | kṣaṇo pāsanamapyatra na yeṣāṃ niṣphalaṃ bhavet

Translation

جو لوگ اعلیٰ ترین بھلائی کے طالب ہیں اُن پر لازم ہے کہ سادھو سنتوں کی خدمت کریں۔ اس پُنّیہ تیرتھ میں وہ حیات بخش پانی کی مانند ہیں؛ یہاں اُن کی ایک گھڑی کی حاضری بھی کبھی بے ثمر نہیں ہوتی۔

Word by Word

• sevyāḥ: worthy to be served
• sevyāḥ: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sev (सेव् धातु) + ya (य)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘to be served/should be served’

• śreyaḥ: the highest good
• śreyaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘अर्थिभिः’ इत्यस्य कर्म (the good)

• arthibhiḥ: by seekers (of good)
• arthibhiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by seekers)

• santaḥ: the good (saints)
• santaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘good people/saints’

• puṇya-tīrthe: in the holy tīrtha
• puṇya-tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘पुण्यं तीर्थम्’ (holy ford/place); अधिकरण (in/at)

• jala-upamāḥ: like water (in purity/benefit)
• jala-upamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jala + upamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘जलस्य उपमा’ (like water); ‘सन्तः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• kṣaṇaḥ: a moment
• kṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (even a moment)

• pāsanam: service, attendance
• pāsanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘सेवन/उपासना’ (service/attendance)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अपि (even/also)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of whom)

• niṣphalam: fruitless
• niṣphalam: Karma (Predicate/पूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣphala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘भवेत्’ इत्यस्य पूरक (fruitless)

• bhavet: would be
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘would be/may become’

Speaker

Nṛpati (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, still moved by what he saw, proclaims that holy men are like water in this tīrtha; a small vignette shows pilgrims offering water and food to ascetics near the shore/temple precinct.

Characters & Entities

• santaḥ (saints)
• puṇyatīrtha (holy tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to saints—especially at a holy place—yields unfailing spiritual fruit and leads seekers toward śreyas (the highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as a puṇya-tīrtha where saintly association is exceptionally efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā/upāsanā: even brief attendance and service to holy persons at the tīrtha is recommended.