Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच । चिकित्सकौ कर्मकरौ कामरूपसमन्वितौ । लोके चरंतौ मर्त्यानां कथं सोममिहार्हतः

Transliteration

indra uvāca | cikitsakau karmakarau kāmarūpasamanvitau | loke caraṃtau martyānāṃ kathaṃ somamihārhataḥ

Translation

Indra sprach: „Sie sind Heiler, bloße Diener des Werkes, mit der Gabe, nach Belieben Gestalt anzunehmen, und sie wandeln in der Welt unter Sterblichen — wie sollten sie hier des Soma würdig sein?“

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• चिकित्सकौ: the two physicians
• चिकित्सकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिकित्सक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• कर्मकरौ: workers / servants
• कर्मकरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); कर्म करोति इति

• कामरूपसमन्वितौ: endowed with the ability to assume forms at will
• कामरूपसमन्वितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामरूप + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषण (adjective) चिकित्सकौ इत्यस्य

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चरन्तौ: moving about / roaming
• चरन्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद-भाव

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सोमम्: Soma (nectar)
• सोमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अर्हतः: are entitled / deserve
• अर्हतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Indra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the Purāṇic interlocutor(s) within Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, enthroned among devas, questions the worthiness of the Aśvins (depicted as youthful twin healers) to receive Soma; the atmosphere is tense, ritual implements visible.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Aśvins
• Soma
• Mortals (martyāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly roles can be misread as inferiority; the passage challenges readers to distinguish service from status and to seek dharmic criteria for honour.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where this yajña-centered theological dispute is preserved as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The question centers on Soma entitlement within the yajña; no additional procedural rule is stated beyond eligibility to receive Soma.