Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

जातिप्रधानतां जातावश्वत्थो यच्छते यशः । श्रियं प्राप्नोति निखिलां शिरीषस्य निषेवणात्

Transliteration

jātipradhānatāṃ jātāvaśvattho yacchate yaśaḥ | śriyaṃ prāpnoti nikhilāṃ śirīṣasya niṣevaṇāt

Translation

Durch die Jāti verleiht der Aśvattha Vorrang unter den Eigenen und schenkt Ruhm; und durch hingebungsvolles Dienen am Śirīṣa erlangt man Wohlstand in seiner ganzen Fülle.

Word by Word

• jātipradhānatām: pre-eminence among castes/kinds
• jātipradhānatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + pradhānatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जात्याः प्रधानता)

• jātau: in (one's) birth/caste
• jātau: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• aśvatthaḥ: the aśvattha (tree)
• aśvatthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvattha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yacchate: grants, bestows
• yacchate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• yaśaḥ: fame
• yaśaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śriyam: prosperity, fortune
• śriyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• prāpnoti: attains
• prāpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nikhilām: entire, complete
• nikhilām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śriyam)

• śirīṣasya: of śirīṣa (tree)
• śirīṣasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śirīṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• niṣevaṇāt: from the use/serving (of it)
• niṣevaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣevaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Beloved interlocutor / inquirer in the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand aśvattha with sacred threads and lamps at its base; pilgrims circumambulate. Nearby a śirīṣa tree with delicate blossoms; offerings of water and flowers suggest ‘śrī’ and ‘yaśas’ as radiant aura around the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Jāti
• Aśvattha
• Śirīṣa
• Śrī (prosperity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a holy kṣetra, reverent engagement with sacred trees is treated as dharma that ripens into social honor, fame, and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where sacred trees like Aśvattha and Śirīṣa are celebrated for their merit-bearing association.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niṣevaṇa—devoted resort/service (such as honoring, circumambulating, or worshipping) of the Śirīṣa and related sacred plants.