Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथं तुष्यसि मर्त्यानां क्षेत्रे तत्र विचेतसाम् । जप्तं दत्तं हुतं यष्टं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । प्रभासे तु महाक्षेत्रे कस्मात्तत्राक्षयं भवेत्

Transliteration

kathaṃ tuṣyasi martyānāṃ kṣetre tatra vicetasām | japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ yaṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat | prabhāse tu mahākṣetre kasmāttatrākṣayaṃ bhavet

Translation

在那圣域（kṣetra）中，即使凡人心神散乱，你为何仍能欢喜垂悦？又为何在普拉婆娑（Prabhāsa）这大圣域所行的一切——持诵（japa）、布施、火供、祭祀、苦行以及诸般善业——都成为不坏不灭、功德无尽？

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तुष्यसि: you are pleased
• तुष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विचेतसाम्: of the distracted/heedless
• विचेतसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मर्त्यानाम्)

• जप्तम्: (what is) muttered/recited
• जप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मवाच्य-भावे ‘that which is recited’

• दत्तम्: (what is) given (as gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हुतम्: (what is) offered in fire
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यष्टम्: (what is) sacrificed/performed as yajña
• यष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उत्तरपद-पूर्वाङ्ग (in compound)

• तप्तम्: (austerity) practiced
• तप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘performed (austerity)’

• कृतम्: (what is) done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्)

• कस्मात्: why/from what cause
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्राय (ablatival interrogative) = ‘for what reason/why’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implicit फलम्/पुण्यम्)

• भवेत्: would become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Satī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks a profound question: why Śiva is pleased even with distracted mortals in Prabhāsa, and why all rites there become imperishable; symbolic imagery of offerings, japa beads, fire altar, and ascetic practice surrounding the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Devī Satī
• Śiva
• Prabhāsa
• Japa
• Dāna
• Homa
• Yajña
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain supreme kṣetras magnify merit; the verse asks for the theological basis of ‘akṣaya’ fruit at Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is called a mahākṣetra where spiritual acts yield imperishable results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, dāna, homa, yajña, and tapas are listed as acts whose fruit becomes akṣaya in Prabhāsa.