Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गोग्रहे देशभंगे च संग्रामे सम्मुखे मृतः । स सूर्यमण्डलं भित्त्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

gograhe deśabhaṃge ca saṃgrāme sammukhe mṛtaḥ | sa sūryamaṇḍalaṃ bhittvā brahmaloke mahīyate

Translation

Wer dem Feind von Angesicht zugewandt stirbt—sei es beim Schutz der Kühe, bei der Verteidigung des Landes oder im Kampf—durchstößt die Sonnenscheibe und wird in Brahmās Welt geehrt.

Word by Word

• गोग्रहे: in the seizure of cows (cattle-raid)
• गोग्रहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘gāvaḥ grahaḥ’/‘gogrāha’), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देशभंगे: in the breaking/defeat of the country
• देशभंगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश + भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘deśasya bhaṅgaḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्मुखे: in the front, face-to-face
• सम्मुखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/उपसर्गयुक्त-विशेषणरूप; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘in front’ (as locative)

• मृतः: dead (having died)
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• सूर्यमण्डलम्: the solar orb
• सूर्यमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘sūryasya maṇḍalam’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भित्त्वा: having pierced
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भित्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ब्रह्मलोके: in Brahma’s world
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + लोक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘brahmaṇaḥ lokaḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीयते: is honored, is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग: ‘is honored’

Speaker

Narrative voice within Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya (attribution uncertain from snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha (in Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior stands before charging foes, shielding cows and villagers; at the moment of death a radiant path shoots upward, shown as a spear of light piercing the solar disc, leading to Brahmā’s lotus-world.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• Sūryamaṇḍala
• Kṣatriya-dharma
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dying in righteous defense—especially for cows and country—is exalted as a direct path to higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra Māhātmya section of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it praises dharmic valor and righteous death as spiritually meritorious.