Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

सितकेशं सितश्मश्रुं सितांबरधरध्वजम् । विटंकाद्यैश्च चेटीभिर्हन्यमानं न पश्यथि

Transliteration

sitakeśaṃ sitaśmaśruṃ sitāṃbaradharadhvajam | viṭaṃkādyaiśca ceṭībhirhanyamānaṃ na paśyathi

Translation

তোমালোকে নেদেখা নেকি—সাদা চুল, সাদা দাড়ি, সাদা বস্ত্ৰ পৰিধান কৰি ধ্বজা বহন কৰা সেইজনক—যাক দাসী আৰু পৰিচাৰকে লাঠি আদি লৈ প্ৰহাৰ কৰি আছে?

Word by Word

• सितकेशम्: white-haired
• सितकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सिताः केशाः यस्य)

• सितश्मश्रुम्: white-bearded
• सितश्मश्रुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सितं श्मश्रु यस्य)

• सिताम्बरधरध्वजम्: wearing white garments and bearing a banner
• सिताम्बरधरध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिताम्बर + धर + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सिताम्बरं धरति इति/धारकः; ध्वजवत्/ध्वजधारी)

• विटंकाद्यैः: by Viṭaṅka and others
• विटंकाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विटंक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विटंक-आदयः)

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

• चेटीभिः: by maidservants
• चेटीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेटी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• हन्यमानम्: being beaten
• हन्यमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हन्यमान (कृदन्त, शानच्; कर्मणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रत्यय (being struck)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• पश्यथि: you see
• पश्यथि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; पाठे ‘पश्यथ’ (2nd pl) सम्भवः

Speaker

Festival announcers/performers (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A white-clad, white-haired man bearing a banner is dragged and beaten by female attendants wielding clubs; onlookers point as his false sanctity collapses.

Characters & Entities

• ceṭī (female attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False status and outward marks do not protect one from the consequences of adharma; public satire exposes and corrects misconduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where festival processions and satire are integrated into the tīrtha’s dharmic culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A public, satirical beating/procession scene performed by attendants as part of the festival’s instructive displays.