Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

भूषिता भूषणोपेता एकैकस्य पृथक्पृथक् । त्रयस्त्रयः पृष्ठतोऽन्ये ते चैवं षोडशर्त्विजः

Transliteration

bhūṣitā bhūṣaṇopetā ekaikasya pṛthakpṛthak | trayastrayaḥ pṛṣṭhato'nye te caivaṃ ṣoḍaśartvijaḥ

Translation

Ils étaient magnifiquement parés, chacun portant des ornements distincts. D’autres se tenaient derrière eux par groupes de trois ; ainsi furent disposés les seize ṛtvij, prêtres officiants.

Word by Word

• भूषिताः: adorned
• भूषिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त) ‘भूषित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋत्विजः/सदस्याः)

• भूषणोपेताः: provided with ornaments
• भूषणोपेताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूषण + उपेत (प्रातिपदिक; उप√इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (भूषणैः उपेताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• एकैकस्य: of each one
• एकैकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (एकश्च एकश्च → एकैक); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of each (one)’

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• त्रयः: three (each set)
• त्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘three (and three)’ (पुनरुक्ति)

• पृष्ठतः: from behind/at the back
• पृष्ठतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृष्ठतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; विशेषणम् (ऋत्विजः)

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Indra (inferred continuation of the yajña description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sixteen officiating priests stand arranged with adorned sadasyas—each uniquely ornamented; behind them others are grouped in threes, forming a disciplined ceremonial formation around the fire altar.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣoḍaśa-ṛtvij (sixteen priests)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Order, beauty, and precision in worship reflect inner discipline and strengthen the efficacy of dharmic acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as the stage for a complete, properly staffed Vedic sacrifice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The presence and arrangement of the ṣoḍaśa-ṛtvij (sixteen officiants) for a full Vedic yajña.