Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

प्रस्तोता कश्यपस्तत्र प्रतिहर्ता तु गालवः । सुब्रह्मण्यस्तथा गर्गः सदस्यः पुलहः कृतः

Transliteration

prastotā kaśyapastatra pratihartā tu gālavaḥ | subrahmaṇyastathā gargaḥ sadasyaḥ pulahaḥ kṛtaḥ

Translation

هناك عُيِّن كاشْيَبا مُنشدَ التراتيل (Prastotṛ)، وجُعِل غالَفا مُجيبَ الإنشاد (Pratihartṛ). وكذلك نُصِّب غارغا مُناديَ «سُبْرَهْمَنيا» (Subrahmaṇya)، وأُقيم بُولَها عضوًا في المجلس.

Word by Word

• प्रस्तोता: (as) Prastotṛ priest
• प्रस्तोता: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रस्तोतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Prastotṛ priest)

• कश्यपः: Kaśyapa
• कश्यपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• प्रतिहर्ता: (as) Pratihartṛ priest
• प्रतिहर्ता: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिहर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Pratihartṛ priest)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• गालवः: Gālava
• गालवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुब्रह्मण्यः: (as) Subrahmaṇya priest
• सुब्रह्मण्यः: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-पद (Subrahmaṇya priest)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• गर्गः: Garga
• गर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदस्यः: (as) Sadasya (member)
• सदस्यः: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यज्ञ-सदस्य (member/assistant)

• पुलहः: Pulaha
• पुलहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृतः: was made/appointed
• कृतः: Predicate (कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘कृत/नियुक्त’ (made/appointed)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of the Udgātṛ group: Kaśyapa as Prastotṛ leading sāman, Gālava responding as Pratihartṛ, Garga as Subrahmaṇya announcing/assisting, Pulaha seated as dignified sadasya overseeing correctness.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• Gālava
• Garga
• Pulaha
• Prastotṛ
• Pratihartṛ
• Subrahmaṇya
• sadasya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred speech (mantra and sāman) is entrusted to the worthy, the yajña becomes a vehicle of cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, depicted as the stage for a fully staffed, tradition-accurate Vedic sacrifice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It identifies specific priestly functions—Prastotṛ, Pratihartṛ, Subrahmaṇya, and sadasya—indicating detailed ritual staffing.