Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दैवज्ञानथ मन्त्रज्ञान्भिषजस्तांत्रिकांस्तथा । इति सन्नोदितो राज्ञा प्रतीहारो ययौ स्वयम्

Transliteration

daivajñānatha mantrajñānbhiṣajastāṃtrikāṃstathā | iti sannodito rājñā pratīhāro yayau svayam

Translation

ৰজাৰ আদেশত প্ৰেৰিত হৈ প্ৰতিহাৰ নিজেই গ’ল—দৈৱলক্ষণ-জ্ঞানী, মন্ত্ৰবিদ্যাৰ পণ্ডিত, বৈদ্য আৰু তান্ত্ৰিক আচাৰত নিপুণসকলক মাতিবলৈ।

Word by Word

• daivajñān: knowers of omens/fate
• daivajñān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक) + jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैवस्य ज्ञानी)

• atha: and/then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• mantrajñān: mantra-knowers
• mantrajñān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रस्य ज्ञानी)

• bhiṣajaḥ: physicians
• bhiṣajaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhiṣaj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूप; सामान्यतः ‘भिषजः’ प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन)

• tāṃtrikān: tantric experts
• tāṃtrikān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāṃtrika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-निर्देशक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• sannoditaḥ: urged/instigated
• sannoditaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + nud (धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (प्रतीहारः)

• rājñā: by the king
• rājñā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• pratīhāraḥ: doorkeeper/chamberlain
• pratīhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb: oneself)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pratīhāra departs the palace, moving through corridors and city lanes, summoning experts—omen-readers, mantra-knowers, physicians, and tantric ritualists—each shown with distinctive attributes (texts, herbs, rosaries, yantra).

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• pratīhāra
• mantrajña
• bhiṣaj
• tāṃtrika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A righteous ruler responds to the extraordinary with discernment—seeking śāstra-guided expertise rather than acting rashly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya, connected to the Prabhāsa sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse lists specialists in mantra, divination, medicine, and tantra being summoned for proper counsel.