Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कामभोगाभिभूतात्मा राज्यं चक्रे प्रतापवान् । ततोऽसौ भवने शंभोर्ददौ शोभासमन्विताम् । ध्वजां शुभ्रां विचित्रां च नान्यत्किंचिदपि प्रभुः

Transliteration

kāmabhogābhibhūtātmā rājyaṃ cakre pratāpavān | tato'sau bhavane śaṃbhordadau śobhāsamanvitām | dhvajāṃ śubhrāṃ vicitrāṃ ca nānyatkiṃcidapi prabhuḥ

Translation

Obwohl seine Seele von Lustgenüssen überwältigt war, herrschte er, mächtig an Glanz, über sein Reich. Dann brachte jener Herr in Śambhus (Śivas) Wohnstatt eine schöne Fahne dar—weiß und bunt gemustert—und gab darüber hinaus nichts anderes.

Word by Word

• kāma-bhoga-abhibhūta-ātmā: whose mind was overcome by sensual pleasures
• kāma-bhoga-abhibhūta-ātmā: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + abhibhūta (कृदन्त—क्त from abhi-bhū धातु) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘kāma-bhoga’ (desire-enjoyments) + ‘abhibhūta’ (overcome) qualifying ‘ātmā’

• rājyam: kingdom, rule
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakre: ruled, exercised (power)
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• pratāpavān: mighty, valorous
• pratāpavān: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratāpa-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhavane: in the house/temple
• bhavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी, एकवचन

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• dadau: gave, offered
• dadau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śobhā-samanvitām: endowed with beauty
• śobhā-samanvitām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śobhā (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त—क्त from sam-anv-i धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘with beauty’ (śobhayā samanvitā) used as adjective to dhvajām

• dhvajām: a banner, flag
• dhvajām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śubhrām: white, bright
• śubhrām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dhvajām)

• vicitrām: variegated, wonderful
• vicitrām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dhvajām)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kiṃcit: something, anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• prabhuḥ: the lord, the ruler
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śambhu’s shrine)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Ṛtadhvaja, adorned yet inwardly subdued, stands before Śiva’s shrine and offers a splendid white, variegated flag; priests and devotees witness as the banner is presented for hoisting.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• dhvajā (flag)
• temple/abode of Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and pleasure do not negate dharma; offering to Śiva’s abode—even a single focused gift—expresses awakened gratitude and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śambhu’s sacred abode within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya tradition (Śiva’s holy region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple-offering (dāna) of a dhvaja (flag) to Śiva’s shrine is described as the king’s act of devotion.