Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

देवार्चनपरो विप्रो वित्तार्थी भुवनत्रये । असौ देवलकोनाम हव्यकव्येषु गर्हितः

Transliteration

devārcanaparo vipro vittārthī bhuvanatraye | asau devalakonāma havyakavyeṣu garhitaḥ

Translation

Một Bà-la-môn chuyên thờ phụng chư thiên mà lại làm vì cầu tài—trong cả ba cõi, người ấy được gọi là “devalaka”, bị chê trách trong việc dâng cúng lễ vật cho thần linh và tổ tiên.

Word by Word

• देवार्चनपरः: devoted to deity-worship
• देवार्चनपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + अर्चन + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘देवार्चने परः’ = devoted to worship of gods)

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वित्तार्थी: seeking wealth
• वित्तार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वित्त + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वित्तस्य अर्थी’ = desirous of wealth)

• भुवनत्रये: in the three worlds
• भुवनत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘त्रीणि भुवनानि’)

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (this/that person)

• देवलकः: a devalaka (temple-priest for hire)
• देवलकः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name/called’)

• हव्यकव्येषु: in havya and kavya offerings
• हव्यकव्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य + कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (offerings to gods and to ancestors)

• गर्हितः: condemned, censured
• गर्हितः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त; गर्ह् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a shrine, a Brahmin performs ārati before a deity image while covertly eyeing a purse of coins; behind him, ancestral offering vessels (śrāddha pātra) are shown, emphasizing ‘havya-kavya’ purity; a pilgrim looks uncertain.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred service becomes blameworthy when driven by greed; intention (bhāva) determines the spiritual worth of religious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where standards for worship, charity, and ritual purity are laid down.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It defines the devalaka as a wealth-seeking worshipper and states such a person is censured regarding havya-kavya rites.