Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

रथाग्रे शांडिलीपुत्रं पूजयित्वा विधानतः । ब्राह्मणान्वाचयित्वा च कृत्वा पुण्याहमंगलम्

Transliteration

rathāgre śāṃḍilīputraṃ pūjayitvā vidhānataḥ | brāhmaṇānvācayitvā ca kṛtvā puṇyāhamaṃgalam

Translation

Vorn am Wagen, nachdem man den Sohn der Śāṇḍilī vorschriftsgemäß verehrt und die Brāhmaṇas Segenssprüche hat rezitieren lassen, vollziehe man das glückverheißende «puṇyāha»-Ritual.

Word by Word

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Adhikaraṇa (Location component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in rathāgre) — ‘chariot’

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (रथस्य अग्रे) — indeclinable adverbial compound meaning ‘in front of the chariot’

• शांडिली: Śāṇḍilī
• शांडिली: Sambandha (Genitive sense in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण्डिली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in śāṃḍilīputram) — ‘Śāṇḍilī’

• पुत्रम्: the son of Śāṇḍilī
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण्डिली-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शाण्डिल्याः पुत्रः)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु; √पूज्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having worshipped

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rite
• विधानतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘according to rule/ritually’

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वाचयित्वा: having made (them) recite
• वाचयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाचय् (धातु; √वच् causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having caused (them) to recite

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु; √कृ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having done/performed

• पुण्याह: puṇyāha rite
• पुण्याह: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्याह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in puṇyāhamaṅgalam) — ‘puṇyāha’ (auspicious-day rite/benediction)

• मंगलम्: the auspicious ceremony (puṇyāha-maṅgala)
• मंगलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्याह-मंगल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; कर्मधारय (पुण्याहं च तत् मंगलं)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the chariot’s front, a revered figure (Śāṇḍilī’s son) is worshipped with flowers and water offerings; brāhmaṇas chant svasti; the puṇyāha rite is performed with sanctified water sprinkling, after which the procession proceeds.

Characters & Entities

• Śāṇḍilī
• Śāṇḍilī-putra
• Brāhmaṇas
• Puṇyāha
• Ratha
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred celebration is protected by correct procedure (vidhāna) and blessings (puṇyāha) led by brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, through detailed instructions for its chariot-festival rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship at the chariot’s front, brāhmaṇa recitations, and performance of the puṇyāha-maṅgala ceremony.