Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रचलन्मेखलाहारा सर्वाभरणभूषिता । स तया भार्यया सार्धं कामक्रोधविवर्जितः

Transliteration

pracalanmekhalāhārā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā | sa tayā bhāryayā sārdhaṃ kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ

Translation

Mit schwingendem Gürtel und Halskette, mit allen Schmuckstücken geziert, stand sie da; und er blieb, zusammen mit jener Gattin, frei von Begierde und Zorn.

Word by Word

• प्रचलत्: swaying, moving
• प्रचलत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√चल् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनार्थे समासपूर्वपदत्वेन; ‘moving/swaying’

• मेखला-हारा: (wearing) girdle and necklace
• मेखला-हारा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेखला (प्रातिपदिक) + हार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (मेखला च हारश्च) बहुवचनार्थेऽपि एकवचनरूपेण समाहार/समुदायवाचक; विशेषण

• सर्व-आभरण-भूषिता: adorned with all ornaments
• सर्व-आभरण-भूषिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त; √भूष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वैः आभरणैः भूषिता); ‘भूषिता’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तया: with her
• तया: Sahakarana (Instrument/Association/सहकारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भार्यया: with (his) wife
• भार्यया: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sahakarana (Association/सहकारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक निपात/उपसर्गसदृश (particle meaning ‘together with’)

• काम-क्रोध-विवर्जितः: free from desire and anger
• काम-क्रोध-विवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि-√वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कामक्रोधयोः) द्वन्द्व-समास + तत्पुरुषभावः; ‘विवर्जितः’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (deductively: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājñī (queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The wife stands adorned—girdle and necklace gently swaying—yet the couple’s faces are composed; the husband’s posture signals restraint, both oriented toward worship rather than sensuality.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Śivarātri (context)
• Dhana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True observance of vrata includes inner restraint—freedom from kāma (lust) and krodha (anger)—not merely external adornment or status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where disciplined conduct is portrayed as fitting for sacred observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit vrata-discipline: cultivating self-control alongside the Śivarātri observance.