Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्योनिगताः सत्त्वा ये प्रभासे कृतालयाः । कालेन निधनं प्राप्तास्तेपि यांति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

tiryagyonigatāḥ sattvā ye prabhāse kṛtālayāḥ | kālena nidhanaṃ prāptāstepi yāṃti parāṃ gatim

Translation

即便是堕生畜类之众生，若曾在普罗婆娑安住为家，待时至命终之际，彼等亦得趋入至高境界。

Word by Word

• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: gone to animal wombs (born as animals)
• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tiryak-yoni + gata (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषार्थे (तिर्यग्योनौ गताः) विशेषणम्

• सत्त्वाः: beings
• सत्त्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक यत्-शब्दः

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृतालयाः: having made their dwelling (settled)
• कृतालयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (कृतः आलयः येषाम्/कृत-आलयाः = निवासं कृतवन्तः) विशेषणम्

• कालेन: by time/in due course
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्ताः: having reached
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + āp (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having attained)

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: 'also/even')

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state/destination
• गतिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet shoreline-kṣetra of Prabhāsa at dusk; animals and humble beings rest near a sacred precinct; a luminous path rises upward at the moment of death, suggesting parā gati bestowed by the kṣetra’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Parā Gati (supreme state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Prabhāsa is so great that mere association and dwelling there is said to uplift even non-human beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised for its extraordinary salvific power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-vāsa—making one’s abode in Prabhāsa; the verse links this to auspicious end-of-life fruition.