Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

सोऽभीहितः प्रजाभिस्तु प्रजाहितचिकीर्षया । धनुर्गृहीत्वा बाणांश्च वसुधामार्दयद्बली

Transliteration

so'bhīhitaḥ prajābhistu prajāhitacikīrṣayā | dhanurgṛhītvā bāṇāṃśca vasudhāmārdayadbalī

Translation

Ainsi sollicité par le peuple et voulant accomplir leur bien, le puissant saisit son arc et ses flèches, et se mit à presser et à soumettre la Terre (Vasudhā).

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अभीहितः: addressed, spoken to
• अभीहितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√इ (धातु) → अभीहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• प्रजाभिः: by the subjects/people
• प्रजाभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• प्रजा-हित-चिकीर्षया: with the desire to do good to the people
• प्रजा-हित-चिकीर्षया: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (√धा/√हि?; ‘हित’ प्रातिपदिक) + चिकीर्षा (√कृ desiderative noun)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘प्रजाहित’ + ‘चिकीर्षा’

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वसुधाम्: the earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आर्दयत्: he afflicted/tormented
• आर्दयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृद्/√मर्द् (धातु) → आर्दयत् (लङ्/Imperfect)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• बली: the strong one
• बली: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pṛthu, mighty and intent on welfare, grips bow and arrows; the Earth beneath seems resistant; the moment is charged—force poised, not wanton.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Vasudhā (Earth)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is justified when used for lokasaṅgraha—protecting and sustaining the people.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the sacred setting where dharma narratives are recounted to magnify the tīrtha’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on decisive rāja-dharma action for public welfare.