Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

प्रशस्तेऽहनि याज्ञीये सर्वकामसमृद्धिमत् । कारयामास शर्यातिर्यज्ञायतनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

praśaste'hani yājñīye sarvakāmasamṛddhimat | kārayāmāsa śaryātiryajñāyatanamuttamam

Translation

En un jour faste, digne du sacrifice, Śaryāti fit édifier une enceinte sacrificielle excellente, pourvue de toute prospérité et de l’accomplissement de tous les desseins.

Word by Word

• प्रशस्ते: auspicious
• प्रशस्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (कृदन्त; √शंस् (धातु) + प्र उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अहनि’ इति विशेषणम्

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• याज्ञीये: sacrificial, fit for a yajña
• याज्ञीये: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याज्ञीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अहनि’ इति विशेषणम् (fit for sacrifice)

• सर्वकामसमृद्धिमत्: endowed with the fulfillment of all desires
• सर्वकामसमृद्धिमत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + समृद्धि + मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वकामानां समृद्धिः यस्मिन् तत्) — ‘यज्ञायतनम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• कारयामास: caused to be made, had constructed
• कारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative: कारय-)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)

• शर्यातिः: Śaryāti
• शर्यातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यज्ञायतनम्: sacrificial enclosure/altar-site
• यज्ञायतनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य आयतनम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘यज्ञायतनम्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (within Bhārgava-āśrama precinct)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Workers and priests lay out an excellent yajña enclosure: measured altar lines, kusa boundaries, posts and canopies, vessels arranged; the king supervises with joy as the auspicious day dawns.

Characters & Entities

• Śaryāti
• Yajña (sacrificial rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values right time (kāla) and right place (kṣetra); sacred works begin with auspicious timing and proper consecrated space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where yajña-space is established as part of the site’s sanctifying narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To choose a praśasta (auspicious) day suitable for yajña and to properly arrange/construct the yajñāyatana (sacrificial arena).