Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन राष्ट्रस्य क्षेममिच्छता । रथयात्रां विशेषेण स्वयं राजा प्रवर्त्तयेत्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena rāṣṭrasya kṣemamicchatā | rathayātrāṃ viśeṣeṇa svayaṃ rājā pravarttayet

Translation

Darum soll der König, der das Heil des Reiches wünscht, mit allem Einsatz und in besonderer Weise dieses Wagenfest eigenhändig in Gang setzen.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• rāṣṭrasya: of the kingdom
• rāṣṭrasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• kṣemam: welfare, security
• kṣemam: Karman (Object of desiring)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• icchatā: by (one) desiring
• icchatā: Kartṛ-sādhana (Agent in instrumental)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); धातुः √इष् (इच्छति); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; “by one who desires”

• ratha-yātrām: the chariot procession
• ratha-yātrām: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (रथस्य यात्रा)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially: especially)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Emphatic to subject)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वतः अर्थे (oneself, personally)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• pravarttayet: should set in motion/organize
• pravarttayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-; धातुः √वृत् (प्रवर्तते/प्रवर्तयति—णिच् causative: cause to proceed/organize)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Brahmā-rathayātrā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, crowned yet humble, steps forward to pull/launch Brahmā’s chariot amid ministers, priests, and citizens; banners fly; the act is portrayed as protection of the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)
• Rāṣṭra (kingdom)
• Ratha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public dharma and sacred festivals are linked with collective welfare; rulers should actively uphold them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the chariot-festival is treated as a rite benefiting the realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The king should personally and diligently organize the ratha-yātrā.