Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

परिपाल्या प्रयत्नेन यावच्चंद्रार्कतारकम् । तस्माद्युष्माकमादिष्टा प्रतिमेयं मया शुभा

Transliteration

paripālyā prayatnena yāvaccaṃdrārkatārakam | tasmādyuṣmākamādiṣṭā pratimeyaṃ mayā śubhā

Translation

Il faut le protéger avec grand soin tant que dureront la lune, le soleil et les étoiles. C’est pourquoi je vous ai prescrit cette image de bon augure—afin de la garder et de l’entretenir.

Word by Word

• परिपाल्या: should be protected
• परिपाल्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + पाल् (धातु) → परिपाल्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थक (gerundive/obligatory participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘परिपाल्या (अस्ति)’ = to be protected

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as/until
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until/as long as)

• चन्द्रार्कतारकम्: the moon, sun, and stars (i.e., as long as they last)
• चन्द्रार्कतारकम्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रः च अर्कः च तारकाः च)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनार्थे ‘therefore/from that’

• युष्माकम्: of you (plural)
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• आदिष्टा: (was) instructed/ordered
• आदिष्टा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु) → आदिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘आदिष्टा (अभूत्)’ = was instructed/commanded

• प्रतिमेयम्: the image/idol
• प्रतिमेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आदिष्टा/प्रतिमा implied)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context of the adhyāya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgarāditya/Nāgarārka (Sūrya) at Someśapura in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king or patron formally entrusts an auspicious solar image to brāhmaṇas, commanding its protection ‘as long as sun, moon, and stars endure’; the icon is central, with ritual vessels and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• the sacred image (Nāgarāditya/Nāgarabhāskara implied)
• celestial bodies (moon, sun, stars)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-glory is sustained through seva: protecting and maintaining the deity’s image is a lasting dharmic responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the auspicious image is to be preserved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear injunction of paripālana—ongoing protection/maintenance of the installed pratimā (temple stewardship).