Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 145

Devanagari script

सस्यानि तेन दुग्धा वै वेन्येनेयं वसुन्धरा । मनुं वै चाक्षुषं कृत्वा वत्सं पात्रे च भूमये

Transliteration

sasyāni tena dugdhā vai venyeneyaṃ vasundharā | manuṃ vai cākṣuṣaṃ kṛtvā vatsaṃ pātre ca bhūmaye

Translation

Durch ihn — Vainya (König Pṛthu) — wurde diese Erde, die Erhalterin, wahrhaftig an Feldfrüchten «gemolken». Indem er Cākṣuṣa Manu zum Kalb machte und die Erde selbst zum Gefäß, zog er die Körner zum Unterhalt der Welt hervor.

Word by Word

• सस्यानि: crops; grains
• सस्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• तेन: by him; by that (Pṛthu)
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुग्धाः: milked out; obtained
• दुग्धाः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दुह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि-प्रयोग (past passive participle); प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिके सस्यानि इति सह (milked/obtained)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• वेन्येन: by Vainya (Pṛthu)
• वेन्येन: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसुन्धरा: the Earth
• वसुन्धरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुन्धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मनुम्: Manu
• मनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• चाक्षुषम्: Cākṣuṣa (named)
• चाक्षुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाक्षुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुम्)

• कृत्वा: having made; having appointed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having made/appointed)

• वत्सम्: calf
• वत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पात्रे: in a vessel
• पात्रे: Adhikarana (Receptacle/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• भूमये: for the earth; to the earth
• भूमये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative); एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: labels implied—‘Vainya’ Pṛthu milks the Earth; Cākṣuṣa Manu as calf; the ‘vessel’ is the earth/ground itself, from which grains emerge in ordered rows, symbolizing agriculture and world-support.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Vasundharā (Earth)
• Cākṣuṣa Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-based rulership sustains the world: a righteous king draws prosperity from the earth for the welfare of all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya section, situating cosmic exemplars of dharma in the sacred frame of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse teaches the dharmic principle of stewardship—ensuring annadāna-like sustenance through righteous governance.