Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शिवभक्तो न यो राजा भक्तोऽन्येषु सुरेषु च । स्वपतिं युवती त्यक्त्वा रमतेऽन्येषु वै यथा

Transliteration

śivabhakto na yo rājā bhakto'nyeṣu sureṣu ca | svapatiṃ yuvatī tyaktvā ramate'nyeṣu vai yathā

Translation

El rey que no es devoto de Śiva, pero sí de otros dioses, es como una joven que, abandonando a su propio esposo, se deleita con otros.

Word by Word

• शिव-भक्तः: a devotee of Śiva
• शिव-भक्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (कृदन्त; भज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (devotee)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• भक्तः: devoted
• भक्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (कृदन्त; भज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (qualifying राजा)

• अन्येषु: in other
• अन्येषु: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सुरेषु)

• सुरेषु: among gods
• सुरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्व-पतिम्: her own husband
• स्व-पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; समास (own husband)

• युवती: a young woman
• युवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• रमते: delights
• रमते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अन्येषु: with others
• अन्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (elliptic: ‘in others/with others’)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative: ‘as/just as’)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience; implicitly kings and patrons of the kṣetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic court scene: a king before a Śiva-liṅga shrine, with a sage admonishing him; in the background, an allegorical vignette of a woman turning away from her husband symbolizes wavering devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Other Devas
• King (rājā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text urges steadfast allegiance to Śiva as the supreme refuge, warning against fickle or divided devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, reinforcing Śiva’s primacy for pilgrims to Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes a devotional stance—Śiva-bhakti as primary.