Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अथ राज्ञः समादेशात्तत्र गत्वा च मंत्रिणः । ऊदुम्बराणि व्यकिरन्हेमगर्भाणि भूतले

Transliteration

atha rājñaḥ samādeśāttatra gatvā ca maṃtriṇaḥ | ūdumbarāṇi vyakiranhemagarbhāṇi bhūtale

Translation

Daraufhin gingen die Minister auf Befehl des Königs dorthin und streuten Udumbara-Früchte, mit Gold gefüllt, auf den Boden.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequence particle: 'then')

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• समादेशात्: from/according to the command
• समादेशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समादेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having gone'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मन्त्रिणः: ministers/counsellors
• मन्त्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊदुम्बराणि: udumbara fruits (cluster figs)
• ऊदुम्बराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• व्यकिरन्: scattered
• व्यकिरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + किर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• हेमगर्भाणि: gold-filled
• हेमगर्भाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (हेम-गर्भाणि = having gold inside), विशेषण (qualifying ऊदुम्बराणि)

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Royal ministers discreetly scatter udumbara fruits that gleam with hidden gold across the earth; the ground sparkles as if strewn with strange, heavy fruit-treasures.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Mantrin (Ministers)
• Ūdumbarā (Udumbara fruit)
• Hema (Gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material wealth can be dramatically displayed, yet the text questions whether such wealth is spiritually safe to accept.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The event unfolds within Prabhāsakṣetra’s māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it describes the logistics of arranging a gift (dāna) under royal command.