Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

रथमारुह्य वेगेन गतो नक्षत्रमंडलम् । रथं तु कांचनं दिव्यं मणिरत्नविभूषितम्

Transliteration

rathamāruhya vegena gato nakṣatramaṃḍalam | rathaṃ tu kāṃcanaṃ divyaṃ maṇiratnavibhūṣitam

Translation

Er bestieg seinen Wagen und fuhr mit großer Geschwindigkeit zum Kreis der Sternbilder. Dieser Wagen war göttlich und golden, geschmückt mit Juwelen und kostbaren Edelsteinen.

Word by Word

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having mounted’

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गतः: went/has gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: the circle of constellations
• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (constellation-circle: ‘circle of stars’)

• रथम्: the chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मणिरत्नविभूषितम्: adorned with gems and jewels
• मणिरत्नविभूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि + रत्न + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (ornamented with jewels and gems), भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal figure mounts a divine golden chariot studded with gems and surges upward into the starry sphere, the night sky opening like a cosmic road.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha (implied)
• nakṣatra-maṇḍala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can require transcending ordinary limits; the Purāṇas depict cosmic-scale responsibility undertaken for the welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though the action moves into the celestial sphere, the textual setting remains the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is descriptive narrative of a divine journey.