Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

हेमभारैर्भूषितानां कामधेनूपमत्विषाम् । अश्वानां श्यामकर्णानां सपादं लक्षमेव च

Transliteration

hemabhārairbhūṣitānāṃ kāmadhenūpamatviṣām | aśvānāṃ śyāmakarṇānāṃ sapādaṃ lakṣameva ca

Translation

«(Donnez) des chevaux parés de charges d’or, resplendissants tels Kāmadhenū; et aussi cent vingt-cinq mille chevaux aux oreilles sombres.»

Word by Word

• हेमभारैः: with loads of gold
• हेमभारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम-भार (प्रातिपदिक; हेम + भार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (करण) विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; साधन/करण (instrumental plural)

• भूषितानाम्: of (those) adorned
• भूषितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) → भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), विशेषणम्; षष्ठी विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; (of those) adorned

• कामधेनू-उपम-त्विषाम्: of those whose radiance is like Kāmadhenū
• कामधेनू-उपम-त्विषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामधेनु-उपम-त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक; कामधेनु + उपम + त्विष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समासान्तप्रातिपदिक (त्विष्); षष्ठी विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘whose splendor is like Kāmadhenū’

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• अश्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्यामकर्णानाम्: of black-eared (ones)
• श्यामकर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्याम-कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; श्याम + कर्ण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (अश्वानाम्)

• सपादम्: and a quarter more (i.e., 1.25)
• सपादम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-पाद (अव्ययीभाव-प्रातिपदिक; स + पाद)
• Form: अव्ययम्; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणार्थे (adverbially: ‘with a quarter more’)

• लक्षम्: a hundred thousand
• लक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संख्यावाचक-नाम

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Horses with dark ears stand in long lines, their harnesses heavy with gold; donors and attendants present them ceremonially, the animals gleaming with an almost divine radiance likened to Kāmadhenū’s splendor.

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenū
• Dāna
• Aśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is celebrated through lavish, intentional generosity, expressing devotion and sustaining sacred rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where grand dāna is described as part of the sacred observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśva-dāna with gold adornment, emphasizing abundance and ceremonial support for yajña.