Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नित्यं चाश्वाः प्रियास्तस्य करोत्यश्वाश्च मृन्मयान् । चित्रेऽपि च लिखत्यश्वांश्चित्राश्व इति चोच्यते

Transliteration

nityaṃ cāśvāḥ priyāstasya karotyaśvāśca mṛnmayān | citre'pi ca likhatyaśvāṃścitrāśva iti cocyate

Translation

«Les chevaux lui sont à jamais chers : il façonne des chevaux même en argile, et il dessine aussi des chevaux en images ; c’est pourquoi on l’appelle Citrāśva, “celui aux chevaux peints”.»

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रियाः: dear, beloved
• प्रियाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अश्वाः इति)

• तस्य: to him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-प्रातिपदिक (तस्य)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• करोति: makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मृन्मयान्: made of clay
• मृन्मयान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृद् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (अश्वान् इति); समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘मृदा मयाः’ = made of clay)

• चित्रे: in a picture/drawing
• चित्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• लिखति: draws, writes
• लिखति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• चित्राश्वः: Citrāśva (name)
• चित्राश्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘चित्रः अश्वः’/‘चित्राणि अश्वाः यस्य’ इति नामरूपे)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Primary interlocutor of the Prabhāsa-māhātmya, not specified in the given excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful prince absorbed in crafting small clay horses and painting horses on a panel, attendants watching; the atmosphere is gentle and auspicious, suggesting innate nobility.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Satyavān
• Citrāśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in hardship, refined skills and harmless creativity can flourish; dharma includes wholesome livelihood and disciplined interests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account is situated within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, where the lives of the righteous are narrated as sacred exemplars.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it describes character through conduct—simple craftwork and artistic practice in forest life.