Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

स्वामिकार्य्यमृतानां च संग्रामे शस्त्रसंकुले । गवार्थे ब्राह्मणार्थे च मृतानां या गतिः स्मृता

Transliteration

svāmikāryyamṛtānāṃ ca saṃgrāme śastrasaṃkule | gavārthe brāhmaṇārthe ca mṛtānāṃ yā gatiḥ smṛtā

Translation

Die selige Bestimmung nach dem Tod, die der Überlieferung nach für jene gelehrt wird, die im Dienst ihres Herrn sterben, oder im Kampf inmitten der Waffen fallen, oder um der Kühe willen, oder um der Brāhmaṇas willen—

Word by Word

• svāmi-kārya-mṛtānām: of those who died in their master’s service
• svāmi-kārya-mṛtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāmin (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; ‘स्वामिकार्ये मृता’ इति (those who died in service of the master)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• saṃgrāme: in battle
• saṃgrāme: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• śastra-saṃkule: crowded with weapons
• śastra-saṃkule: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying saṃgrāme)

• go-arthē: for the sake of cows
• go-arthē: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रयोजनवाचक-अव्ययम् (for the sake of cows)

• brāhmaṇa-arthē: for the sake of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-arthē: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रayojana)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रयोजनवाचक-अव्ययम् (for the sake of Brahmins)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• mṛtānām: of the dead (persons)
• mṛtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• gatiḥ: destiny; state; course
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• smṛtā: is said/remembered (as)
• smṛtā: Kriyā (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/PPP)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative convention within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like dharma tableau: a loyal servant protecting his master, a warrior in a weapon-filled battlefield, and protectors defending cows and brāhmaṇas—each framed as attaining a ‘śubhā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Cows (Go)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-sacrifice for dharma—service, righteous battle, protection of cows, and protection of brāhmaṇas—is praised as leading to an exalted destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse that culminates in the glory of the Gomatī–Sāgara confluence near Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it defines dharmic causes whose sacrifice is said to yield a renowned higher ‘gati’ (destiny).