Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

मध्यमो ह्येष तत्त्वस्य धर्मः क्षत्रोपजीवनम् । रथनागाश्वचरितं जघन्यं च चिकित्सितम्

Transliteration

madhyamo hyeṣa tattvasya dharmaḥ kṣatropajīvanam | rathanāgāśvacaritaṃ jaghanyaṃ ca cikitsitam

Translation

On dit que tel est le devoir moyen selon le principe : vivre selon la voie des kṣatriyas—par les chars, les éléphants et les chevaux ; tandis que l’occupation la plus basse est tenue pour la pratique de la médecine.

Word by Word

• मध्यमः: middle, intermediate
• मध्यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• तत्त्वस्य: of the principle/essence
• तत्त्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• धर्मः: duty, dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• क्षत्रोपजीवनम्: livelihood of a kṣatriya; kṣatriya’s profession
• क्षत्रोपजीवनम्: Predicate/Viśeṣya (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र + उपजीवन (प्रातिपदिक); उप-√जीव् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• रथनागाश्वचरितम्: the practice/handling of chariots, elephants, and horses
• रथनागाश्वचरितम्: Predicate/Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + नाग + अश्व + चरित (प्रातिपदिक); √चर् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective dvandva)

• जघन्यम्: lowest, inferior
• जघन्यम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जघन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चिकित्सितम्: medical treatment; medicine
• चिकित्सितम्: Predicate/Additional item (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिकित्सित (प्रातिपदिक); √कित्स्/√चिकित्स् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used substantively)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (contextual attribution for Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: sages enumerate livelihoods; behind them appear vignettes—war chariots, elephants, horses—contrasted with a physician’s tools, illustrating the stated hierarchy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic lens emphasizes alignment of livelihood with one’s prescribed social-duty framework (dharma) and warns against role-confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the textual frame, but the verse focuses on dharma classifications rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a normative statement about occupations and dharma.