Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

संकल्पयित्वा वत्सं तु चाक्षुषं मनुमीश्वरम् । पृथुर्दुदोह सस्यानि स्वहस्ते पृथिवीं ततः

Transliteration

saṃkalpayitvā vatsaṃ tu cākṣuṣaṃ manumīśvaram | pṛthurdudoha sasyāni svahaste pṛthivīṃ tataḥ

Translation

Ayant établi Cākṣuṣa Manu, le seigneur, comme veau, Pṛthu alors tira de la Terre les moissons en la « trayant », sa propre main servant de vase.

Word by Word

• संकल्पयित्वा: having appointed; having arranged
• संकल्पयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√कॢप्/कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having arranged/appointed)

• वत्सम्: calf (as the calf for milking)
• वत्सम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन

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

• चाक्षुषम्: Cākṣuṣa (named)
• चाक्षुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाक्षुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुम् विशेषयति)

• मनुम्: Manu
• मनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ईश्वरम्: the lord; sovereign
• ईश्वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुम् विशेषयति)

• पृथुः: Pṛthu
• पृथुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• दुदोह: milked
• दुदोह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दुह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सस्यानि: crops; grains
• सस्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• स्वहस्ते: in his own hand
• स्वहस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य हस्तः)

• पृथिवीम्: the Earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Time/Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्-अर्थे (thereupon/then)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Pṛthu stands beside the personified Earth (Pṛthivī as a cow), with Cākṣuṣa Manu symbolically set as the calf; Pṛthu ‘milks’ crops—golden grains and green shoots—into his cupped hand as a vessel, signifying dharmic abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthu
• Pṛthivī
• Cākṣuṣa Manu
• Sasya (crops)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity is a sacred trust: when guided by dharma and right intention, the earth yields abundance for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya framework; the cosmic episode supports the sanctity and authority of Prabhāsa’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse presents a foundational myth for agriculture and rightful extraction of resources.