Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अक्षमाला वसिष्ठेन संयुक्ताऽधम योनिजा । शार्ङ्गीव मन्दपालेन जगाम ह्यर्हणीयताम्

Transliteration

akṣamālā vasiṣṭhena saṃyuktā'dhama yonijā | śārṅgīva mandapālena jagāma hyarhaṇīyatām

Translation

Akṣamālā, obgleich aus niedriger Herkunft geboren, erlangte, mit Vasiṣṭha vereint, die Würde, der Ehre würdig zu sein — wie Śārṅgī, als sie sich mit Mandapāla verband.

Word by Word

• अक्षमाला: rosary, garland of beads
• अक्षमाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षमाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—अक्षाणां माला (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वसिष्ठेन: by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संयुक्ता: joined, connected
• संयुक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+युज् (धातु) → संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अक्षमालायाः)

• अधम: low, base
• अधम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (योनिजम्)

• योनिजा: one born of a womb (a creature)
• योनिजा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि+ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—योन्या जायते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• शार्ङ्गी: Śārṅgī (Viṣṇu, bearer of Śārṅga bow)
• शार्ङ्गी: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘शार्ङ्गी इव’ उपमान-प्रयोगे

• इव: like, as
• इव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• मन्दपालेन: by Mandapāla
• मन्दपालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगाम: went, attained
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अर्हणीयताम्: worthiness of honor, venerability
• अर्हणीयताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्हणीयता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रातिपदिक

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Frame) Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Akṣamālā stands beside Vasiṣṭha, now honored by assembled sages; a parallel vignette shows Śārṅgī with Maṇḍapāla, both scenes linked by a visual motif of garlands and respectful offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣamālā
• Vasiṣṭha
• Śārṅgī
• Mandapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes inner worth and transformative association; honor arises from virtue and dharmic alignment, not merely birth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is part of the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, linking moral transformation to the sanctified narrative landscape of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights the result (arhaṇīyatā—worthiness of honor) following a dharmic union.