Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

भूषिता भूषणौघेन तस्मिन्यज्ञे तदर्त्विजः । चतुर्षु तज्ज्ञाश्चत्वार एवं ते षोडशर्त्विजः

Transliteration

bhūṣitā bhūṣaṇaughena tasminyajñe tadartvijaḥ | caturṣu tajjñāścatvāra evaṃ te ṣoḍaśartvijaḥ

Translation

Dans ce sacrifice, les prêtres officiants étaient parés d’une profusion d’ornements. Pour chacun des quatre ensembles, quatre experts furent assignés ; ainsi y eut-il seize prêtres officiants au total.

Word by Word

• भूषिताः: adorned
• भूषिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘भूषित’ (adorned), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भूषणौघेन: with a multitude of ornaments
• भूषणौघेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषणौघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भूषणानाम् ओघः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यज्ञे: sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: those/that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (used as determiner)

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

• चतुर्षु: in four (sets)
• चतुर्षु: Adhikaraṇa (Division/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘in four (groups)’

• तज्ज्ञाः: experts in that (rite)
• तज्ज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तत् जानन्ति इति/तत्-ज्ञ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)

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

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Viśeṣaṇa (Number/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: षोडश (अव्यय/संख्यावाचक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (numeral: sixteen)

• ऋत्विजः: priests
• ऋत्विजः: Predicate Nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand yajña-maṇḍapa at Prabhāsa: sixteen ṛtviks seated in ordered quarters, gleaming ornaments and ritual implements; fire-altar blazing, banners and canopies, attendants carrying dakṣiṇā trays.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtvij (sixteen priests)
• yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through structured cooperation—each role mastered by experts, producing harmony in sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, shown as a place where exemplary Vedic yajña is performed with full ritual completeness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the classical ṣoḍaśa-ṛtvij system: sixteen priests arranged as four experts across four functional sets.