Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

चतुःसागरसंयुक्तां यो भुंक्ते पृथिवीमिमाम् । एकस्तु वनवासी च स कृतार्थो न पार्थिवः

Transliteration

catuḥsāgarasaṃyuktāṃ yo bhuṃkte pṛthivīmimām | ekastu vanavāsī ca sa kṛtārtho na pārthivaḥ

Translation

纵使国王统御这被四海环绕的大地，真正圆满的并非世间君主；唯有独居林野的行者才是成就者。

Word by Word

• चतुःसागरसंयुक्ताम्: joined with four oceans
• चतुःसागरसंयुक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥ + sāgara + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषसमासः (‘चतुर्भिः सागरैः संयुक्ता’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys / rules
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण

• एकः: one (single)
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात

• वनवासी: a forest-dweller
• वनवासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वने वासी’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतार्थः: fulfilled / successful
• कृतार्थः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘कृतः अर्थः यस्य’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• पार्थिवः: a king
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic verse within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand king on a throne with the four oceans symbolically encircling the map of earth, contrasted with a lone ascetic in a forest clearing—calm, radiant, fulfilled.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True success is inner freedom and simplicity, not political power or vast possessions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya; the verse supports pilgrimage as a path to detachment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it commends the renunciant/forest-dweller disposition.