Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा च रथ्यासु चत्वरेषु त्रिकेषु च । प्रफुल्लकमलान्येव क्रेतुं वै मुनिसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatra gatvā ca rathyāsu catvareṣu trikeṣu ca | praphullakamalānyeva kretuṃ vai munisattamāḥ

Translation

وہاں پہنچ کر، اے بہترین رشیو! میں گلیوں، چوکوں اور تین راہوں کے موڑوں میں پھرتا رہا، صرف پوری طرح کھلے کنول خریدنے کی تلاش میں۔

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• रथ्यासु: in the streets
• रथ्यासु: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• चत्वरेषु: in the squares
• चत्वरेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• त्रिकेषु: at the three-way junctions
• त्रिकेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• प्रफुल्लकमलानि: fully-bloomed lotuses
• प्रफुल्लकमलानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रफुल्ल + कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (प्रफुल्लानि कमलानि)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• क्रेतुम्: to buy
• क्रेतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्री (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: क्री (to buy)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed)

• मुनिसत्तमाः: the best sages
• मुनिसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां सत्तमाः = best of sages)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (a devotee/pilgrim speaking to sages), within Sūta’s Prabhāsa narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munisattamas / dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim moves through a sacred town’s lanes, squares, and three-way junctions, scanning flower-sellers for fully-bloomed lotuses; the urban geometry becomes a mandala of seeking.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through purposeful seeking—gathering pure offerings for worship in a sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), celebrated in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing for pūjā by procuring auspicious flowers—specifically fully-bloomed lotuses—as offerings.