Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

यदि राजा मदाविष्टः स्वधर्मं न परि त्यजेत् । ततो जगति कस्तस्मात्पुमानभ्यधिको भवेत्

Transliteration

yadi rājā madāviṣṭaḥ svadharmaṃ na pari tyajet | tato jagati kastasmātpumānabhyadhiko bhavet

Translation

যদি রাজা ক্ষমতার মদে আচ্ছন্ন হয়েও নিজের স্বধর্ম ত্যাগ না করে, তবে এই জগতে তার চেয়ে শ্রেষ্ঠ পুরুষ আর কে হতে পারে?

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मदाविष्टः: possessed by pride/intoxicated
• मदाविष्टः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद-आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; मद + आ+विश् धातु → आविष्ट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (राजा)

• स्वधर्मम्: his own duty
• स्वधर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + धर्म)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• परि: completely/around (as preverb)
• परि: Sambandha (Preverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Result link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनन्तर/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (then/therefore)

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: than him/from him
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Standard/source of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• पुमान्: man/person
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुमान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभ्यधिकः: superior
• अभ्यधिकः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (पुमान्)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (a sage/counsellor addressing the king, within Īśvara’s narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king stands firm, rejecting temptations offered by courtiers; behind him, sages watch approvingly; the imagery contrasts glittering regalia with the quiet radiance of restraint.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid pride and authority, unwavering fidelity to one’s svadharma makes a person truly great.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The counsel occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya framework, linking righteous rule with sacred-place merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is an ethical injunction: do not forsake svadharma.