Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

बीजौषधीनां विप्राणां मंत्राणां च वरानने । सोऽभिषिक्तो महातेजा राजा राज्ये निशाकरः

Transliteration

bījauṣadhīnāṃ viprāṇāṃ maṃtrāṇāṃ ca varānane | so'bhiṣikto mahātejā rājā rājye niśākaraḥ

Translation

O fair-faced one, he was consecrated as the radiant king—the Maker of night (the Moon)—to rule over seeds and medicinal herbs, over the Brāhmaṇas, and over the mantras as well.

Word by Word

• बीजौषधीनाम्: of seeds and herbs
• बीजौषधीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज-औषधि (प्रातिपदिक; बीज + औषधि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (औषधि-प्रधान)

• विप्राणाम्: of the brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• मन्त्राणाम्: of mantras
• मन्त्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आनन (प्रातिपदिक; वर + आनन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन — Vocative singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अभिषिक्तः: anointed, consecrated
• अभिषिक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, nominative singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तेजस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• राज्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — Locative singular

• निशाकरः: the night-maker (Moon)
• निशाकरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा-कर (प्रातिपदिक; निशा + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); 'varānane' indicates an addressed listener within the narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed as ‘O fair-faced one’), likely a female interlocutor in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal abhiṣeka: Soma is anointed as king; vessels pour consecration water; around him appear symbols of seeds, herbs, a Vedic altar, and brāhmaṇas chanting—signifying his rule over nature and mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Niśākara (Moon)
• Bīja
• Oṣadhi
• Vipra
• Mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual power (mantra), sacred order (vipra-dharma), and life-supporting nature (seeds, herbs) are shown as governed under a divinely consecrated cosmic kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, whose māhātmya integrates ritual authority and cosmic governance into the site’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consecration (abhiṣeka) is referenced conceptually—Soma is anointed into office—though no human ritual procedure is detailed here.