Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततो धर्मक्रियास्त्यक्ता भूतले सर्वमानवैः । निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारं भूतलं समपद्यत

Transliteration

tato dharmakriyāstyaktā bhūtale sarvamānavaiḥ | niḥsvādhyāyavaṣaṭkāraṃ bhūtalaṃ samapadyata

Translation

Then all human beings upon the earth abandoned the rites of dharma, and the world became bereft of Vedic study and of the “vaṣaṭ” exclamation in sacrificial offerings.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) कारण/अनन्तरार्थे (thereupon/then)

• धर्म-क्रियाः: religious rites
• धर्म-क्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: धर्मस्य क्रियाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• त्यक्ताः: were abandoned
• त्यक्ताः: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त, √त्यज्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘धर्मक्रियाः’ इत्यस्य भाववाचक-प्रयोगः (were abandoned)

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; देशाधिकरण

• सर्व-मानवैः: by all humans
• सर्व-मानवैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: सर्वे मानवा इति कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरण/कर्तृवाचक-तृतीया (by all men)

• निः-स्वाध्याय-वषट्कारम्: devoid of Vedic study and vaṣaṭ-calls
• निः-स्वाध्याय-वषट्कारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: निःस्वाध्यायश्च निःवषट्कारश्च इति द्वन्द्वार्थेऽपि एकपद-समासप्रयोगः; व्यवहारतः निः-पूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (privation); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘भूतलम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• भूतलम्: the earth
• भूतलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• समपद्यत: became/turned into
• समपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as restorative counterpoint)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent sacrificial ground: cold ash in the fire-pit, abandoned ladles, no chanting students, no vaṣaṭ; across the landscape, people turn away from rituals, temples and āśramas quiet.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-kriyā
• Svādhyāya
• Vaṣaṭkāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When fear and violence disrupt sacred life, dharma practices fade—showing the need for protection of svādhyāya and yajña traditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorified setting is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the restoration of dharma becomes the underlying aim of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (Vedic recitation) and vaṣaṭkāra (ritual exclamation in offerings) are highlighted as key components of orthodox ritual life.