Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत् । नासौ तत्फलमाप्नोति वपनाद्यच्च लभ्यते

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret | nāsau tatphalamāpnoti vapanādyacca labhyate

Translation

Selbst wenn jemand tausendmal tausend Aśvamedha-Opfer vollzöge, erlangte er nicht die Frucht, die durch das rituelle Scheren am Tīrtha gewonnen wird.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्राणाम्: of thousands of Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘अश्वमेधानां सहस्राणि’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष? (न), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘तस्य फलम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन

• वपनात्: from shaving/tonsure
• वपनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• यत्: which (result)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘यत् … लभ्यते’ इत्यस्य कर्म/विषयः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is obtained’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Continuing addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic contrast: on one side, grand Aśvamedha arenas with horses, altars, and kings; on the other, a humble pilgrim performing prescribed vapana at a sacred water—yet radiating greater spiritual light.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-dharma performed with humility can yield merit surpassing grand royal sacrifices, emphasizing accessibility of spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement functions as a māhātmya-style praise within Prabhāsa context, elevating the tīrtha’s prescribed observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vapana (ritual shaving) done as part of the tīrtha-vidhi is said to grant extraordinary fruit.