Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

ऊर्भानुश्च तथा धर्मं धर्मः सत्यं ह्यृत तथा । धर्मं ये धर्मवद्धर्मे धर्मे वै निधनं गताः

Transliteration

ūrbhānuśca tathā dharmaṃ dharmaḥ satyaṃ hyṛta tathā | dharmaṃ ye dharmavaddharme dharme vai nidhanaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

«Ūrbhānu» — und ebenso «Dharma»; und «Dharma» ist Wahrheit, ja, und auch Ṛta, die kosmische Ordnung. Wer im Dharma gegründet ist, nach Dharma lebt und selbst im Dharma sein Ende findet, erlangt die aus Dharma geborene Vollendung.

Word by Word

• ऊर्भानुः: Ūrbhānu (name)
• ऊर्भानुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• तथा: likewise / thus
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'thus/also')

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• ऋतम्: cosmic order / ṛta
• ऋतम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun)

• धर्मवत्: righteous / endowed with dharma
• धर्मवत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मवत् (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + वत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन/बहुवचन-समानरूप (indeclinable-like adjective form)

• धर्मे: in dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• धर्मे: in dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• निधनम्: death / end
• निधनम्: Gati-karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• गताः: have gone / reached
• गताः: Kriyā (Predicate; have gone)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Dharma personified holding a staff and scripture, Satya as a clear flame, and Ṛta as a cosmic wheel; pilgrims at Prabhāsa stand with folded hands, indicating that the mantra’s power rests on ethical alignment.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ṛta
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra practice is inseparable from dharma: truthfulness and alignment with ṛta (cosmic order) complete the spiritual path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra setting frames the teaching on dharma and sacred recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is detailed here; the verse emphasizes the ethical prerequisite—steadfastness in dharma—for the japa’s highest fruit.