Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

वाल्मीकिना च लोके तु धर्मकामार्थसाधकम्

Transliteration

vālmīkinā ca loke tu dharmakāmārthasādhakam

Translation

Et Vālmīki, pour le monde, l’exposa comme ce qui accomplit le dharma, le kāma et l’artha.

Word by Word

• वाल्मीकिना: by Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by Vālmīki)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; Conjunction (and)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in the world)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय; Particle (but/indeed)

• धर्मकामार्थसाधकम्: accomplishing dharma, kāma, and artha
• धर्मकामार्थसाधकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-काम-अर्थ-साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Adjective (that which accomplishes dharma, kāma, artha)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-figure identified with Vālmīki presents a palm-leaf manuscript to an assembly, indicating that the teaching is for the welfare of the world and for attaining the three puruṣārthas.

Characters & Entities

• Vālmīki

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True scripture guides all human aims—especially dharma—so that prosperity and desire remain aligned with righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the setting remains Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, but the verse itself is about the epic’s purpose.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it asserts the ethical and practical fruit of the Rāmāyaṇa.