Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ध्रुवं जन्म सदा राज्ञां मोहश्चापि सदा ध्रुवः । मोहाद्ध्रुवश्च नरको राज्यं निन्दन्त्यतो बुधाः

Transliteration

dhruvaṃ janma sadā rājñāṃ mohaścāpi sadā dhruvaḥ | mohāddhruvaśca narako rājyaṃ nindantyato budhāḥ

Translation

Für Könige ist die Geburt in Herrschaft gewiss, und ebenso gewiss ist die stets gegenwärtige Verblendung. Aus Verblendung wird die Hölle zum sicheren Ausgang; darum tadeln die Weisen das Königtum (wenn es zur Fessel wird).

Word by Word

• dhruvam: certain, fixed
• dhruvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjectival)

• janma: birth
• janma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (neuter, nominative singular)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, genitive plural)

• mohaḥ: delusion
• mohaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, nominative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-प्रयोगः; अव्ययम् (particle: also/even)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• dhruvaḥ: certain, fixed
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative singular; adjectival)

• mohāt: from delusion
• mohāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, ablative singular)

• dhruvaḥ: certain
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (masculine, nominative singular; adjectival)

• ca: and
• ca: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• narakaḥ: hell
• narakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, nominative singular)

• rājyam: kingship, kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (neuter, accusative singular)

• nindanti: they condemn
• nindanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nind (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमानकालः), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (present indicative, active, 3rd person plural)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्ययम् (indeclinable: therefore/from that)

• budhāḥ: the wise (men)
• budhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, nominative plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (a sage/counsellor addressing the king, within Īśvara’s narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: a crowned figure shadowed by a looming personification of Moha; below, a faint vision of naraka flames; sages point not in condemnation but in urgent compassion.

Characters & Entities

• naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power easily breeds delusion; without vigilance, it leads to spiritual ruin—hence wise people warn against attachment to rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It is embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya discourse, where sacred geography supports moral transformation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; it teaches renunciation of delusion and careful governance as spiritual discipline.