Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तत्र राजा गजोनाम बली सर्वजनाधिपः । गंगाजलाभिषेकार्थं त्यक्वा राज्यं जगाम ह

Transliteration

tatra rājā gajonāma balī sarvajanādhipaḥ | gaṃgājalābhiṣekārthaṃ tyakvā rājyaṃ jagāma ha

Translation

Là se trouvait un roi puissant nommé Gaja, souverain de tout son peuple; et, désireux de recevoir l’onction (abhiṣeka) avec les eaux du Gaṅgā, il renonça au royaume et se mit en route.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• gajaḥ: Gaja
• gajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक/quotative: "by name")

• balī: powerful
• balī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying rājā)

• sarva-jana-adhipaḥ: lord of all people
• sarva-jana-adhipaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वेषां जनानाम् अधिपः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• gaṅgā-jala-abhiṣeka-artham: for the purpose of bathing/ablution with Gaṅgā-water
• gaṅgā-jala-abhiṣeka-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक) + abhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (अर्थम् = for the purpose of); गङ्गायाः जलस्य अभिषेकः तस्य अर्थम् (nested तत्पुरुष)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ha: indeed/it is said
• ha: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha
• Form: अव्यय (स्मरण/इतिहाससूचक particle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-jala (as abhiṣeka-object); narrative anchored at Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful king ‘Gaja’ stands before his court, handing over insignia of rule, then departs with minimal retinue toward a distant sacred journey; the destination is envisioned as Gaṅgā’s waters for abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Gaja
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit arises when worldly power is subordinated to sacred purpose—pilgrimage and purification are valued above kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is invoked as the purifying tirtha; the broader narrative belongs to Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka/snānā-like purification through Gaṅgā water (gaṅgā-jala-abhiṣeka).