Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत् । नासौ तत्फलमाप्नोति वपनाद्यच्च लभ्यते

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret | nāsau tatphalamāpnoti vapanādyacca labhyate

Translation

Quand bien même on accomplirait mille fois mille sacrifices Aśvamedha, on n’obtiendrait pas le fruit que procure le rite du rasage prescrit au tīrtha.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्राणाम्: of thousands of Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘अश्वमेधानां सहस्राणि’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष? (न), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘तस्य फलम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन

• वपनात्: from shaving/tonsure
• वपनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• यत्: which (result)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘यत् … लभ्यते’ इत्यस्य कर्म/विषयः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is obtained’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Continuing addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic contrast: on one side, grand Aśvamedha arenas with horses, altars, and kings; on the other, a humble pilgrim performing prescribed vapana at a sacred water—yet radiating greater spiritual light.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-dharma performed with humility can yield merit surpassing grand royal sacrifices, emphasizing accessibility of spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement functions as a māhātmya-style praise within Prabhāsa context, elevating the tīrtha’s prescribed observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vapana (ritual shaving) done as part of the tīrtha-vidhi is said to grant extraordinary fruit.