Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

कार्यो वै पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ कार्यश्चोदङ्मुखैर्द्विजैः । चतुर्भिश्चतुरै राजन्पीतवस्त्रानुलेपनैः

Transliteration

kāryo vai pārthivaśreṣṭha kāryaścodaṅmukhairdvijaiḥ | caturbhiścaturai rājanpītavastrānulepanaiḥ

Translation

Ô roi éminent, ce rite doit assurément être accompli ; et il doit l’être par des brāhmaṇa tournés vers le nord : quatre, experts dans l’office, vêtus de jaune et oints de substances jaunes.

Word by Word

• कार्यः: should be performed
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (डुकृञ्) + ण्यत्)
• Form: ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be done/should be performed’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पार्थिव-श्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• पार्थिव-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—पार्थिवः श्रेष्ठः (कर्मधारय)

• कार्यः: should be performed
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (डुकृञ्) + ण्यत्)
• Form: ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• उदङ्-मुखैः: facing north
• उदङ्-मुखैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ् (अव्यय/दिक्शब्द) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—उदङ् (उत्तर) मुखं येषाम् (तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजैः: by the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजैः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• चतुरैः: skilled/clever
• चतुरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पीत-वस्त्र-अनुलेपनैः: with yellow garments and unguents
• पीत-वस्त्र-अनुलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—पीतवस्त्राणि च अनुलेपनानि च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

Speaker

Deductively: a Purāṇic narrator/instructor addressing a king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four skilled brāhmaṇa priests stand or sit around the altar facing north, wearing yellow garments and anointed with yellow paste; the kingly patron watches respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• dvija (brāhmaṇa priests)
• north-facing (udak-mukha)
• yellow garments

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through proper agency—qualified priests, correct orientation, and disciplined observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-kṣetra is the contextual sacred geography where these rites are taught and valorized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The rite should be conducted by four competent brāhmaṇas facing north, with yellow garments and anointing.