Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ध्वजमारोपयेद्यस्तु प्रासादोपरि भक्तितः । तस्य ब्रह्मपदे वासः क्रीडते ब्रह्मणा सह

Transliteration

dhvajamāropayedyastu prāsādopari bhaktitaḥ | tasya brahmapade vāsaḥ krīḍate brahmaṇā saha

Translation

Wer in Hingabe eine Fahne auf dem Tempelpalast des Herrn aufrichtet, erlangt Wohnstatt im Reich Brahmās und erfreut sich dort in Brahmās Gemeinschaft.

Word by Word

• ध्वजम्: a flag
• ध्वजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आरोपयेत्: should hoist/raise
• आरोपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) ‘to cause to be raised/hoist’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/नipāt)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• प्रासादोपरि: on top of the palace
• प्रासादोपरि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रासाद + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (prepositional adverb); ‘उपरि’ सप्तम्यर्थे

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; हेतौ/प्रकारे

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मपदे: in Brahma’s realm/state
• ब्रह्मपदे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + पद (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः पदम् (स्थानम्)

• वासः: dwelling/residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• क्रीडते: plays/sports
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: with Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/सह), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition) सह; सहार्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee hoists a bright flag atop the temple spire; the flag snaps in the sea wind of Dvārakā. The reward is envisioned as entry into Brahmā’s realm, with the devotee joyfully moving among Brahmā’s attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvārakā
• Prāsāda (temple)
• Dhvaja (flag)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to the Lord’s temple—even a simple act like hoisting a flag—yields exalted spiritual merit and divine proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, celebrated in the Dvārakā-māhātmya of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hoisting a dhvaja (flag) on top of the temple/prāsāda as an act of bhakti (temple-sevā).