Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्येण सत्त्वेन तथाऽलुब्धतयापि वा । जितं जगद्धारयन्तो धृतराष्ट्रा मतास्तु ये

Transliteration

brahmacaryeṇa sattvena tathā'lubdhatayāpi vā | jitaṃ jagaddhārayanto dhṛtarāṣṭrā matāstu ye

Translation

Diejenigen, die durch Brahmacarya (heilige Enthaltsamkeit), Lauterkeit des Wesens und Freiheit von Gier die Welt fest tragen, als wäre sie bezwungen—sie gelten als «Dhṛtarāṣṭras», die Welterhalter.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सत्त्वेन: by purity/virtue
• सत्त्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

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

• अलुब्धतया: by non-greed
• अलुब्धतया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलुब्धता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• जितम्: conquered
• जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (प्रातिपदिक; जि धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त; ‘conquered’

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धारयन्तः: bearing/maintaining
• धारयन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-कर्तरि

• धृतराष्ट्राः: (the) Dhṛtarāṣṭra (class; those who uphold the realm)
• धृतराष्ट्राः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृत (प्रातिपदिक; धृ धातोः क्त) + राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (धृतं राष्ट्रं येषाम्) वर्गनाम

• मताः: are considered
• मताः: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘are considered’ (लुप्त-भू)

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

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A steadfast ascetic stands like a pillar, calm and radiant; around him, symbolic imagery of the world being steadied—people, animals, and a cosmic wheel—suggesting 'jagad-dhāraṇa'.

Characters & Entities

• brahmacarya
• alobha
• dhṛtarāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moral virtues—continence, purity, and non-greed—create a stabilizing spiritual force that ‘upholds the world’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya frames such virtues as especially meritorious in a sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata-like ethical regimen is implied: brahmacarya and alobha, rather than a specific ceremonial rite.