Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

व्यवहारानवेक्षध्वं स्मृत्याचारविशारदाः । व्यवस्थां मत्कृतामेतां भवंतोऽत्र द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

vyavahārānavekṣadhvaṃ smṛtyācāraviśāradāḥ | vyavasthāṃ matkṛtāmetāṃ bhavaṃto'tra dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Ihr, die Besten der Dvija, kundig in Smṛti und rechter Lebensführung, sollt hier Streitfälle und bürgerliche Angelegenheiten beaufsichtigen und diese von mir geschaffene Ordnung wahren.

Word by Word

• व्यवहारान्: transactions; procedures
• व्यवहारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अवेक्षध्वम्: observe; look into
• अवेक्षध्वम्: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष्/√वेक्ष् (धातु) + अव- उपसर्ग
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्मृत्याचारविशारदाः: O experts in Smriti and conduct
• स्मृत्याचारविशारदाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति + आचार + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘स्मृतौ च आचारे च विशारदाः’—समाहारार्थे), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• व्यवस्थाम्: arrangement; regulation
• व्यवस्थाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मत्कृताम्: made by me
• मत्कृताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद् (अस्मद्-सम्बन्ध) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘मया कृताम्’), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘व्यवस्थाम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘व्यवस्थाम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• भवन्तः: you (honored ones)
• भवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/आदरार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Addressed (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the sacred town, a council of dvijas sits in judgment beneath a pavilion near the temple; disputants stand respectfully; palm-leaf Smṛti texts are consulted; the atmosphere is calm, orderly, and dharmic.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Smṛti
• ācāra
• vyavahāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places require dharmic governance—justice guided by Smṛti and ācāra protects spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, portrayed as a community with a defined dharmic administrative order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act but a dharma injunction: qualified dvijas should oversee vyavahāras in line with established rules.