Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

पंचवर्णध्वजं दद्याद्दामोदरगृहोपरि । तं तु प्रमाणवर्षाणि दिव्यानि स दिवं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

paṃcavarṇadhvajaṃ dadyāddāmodaragṛhopari | taṃ tu pramāṇavarṣāṇi divyāni sa divaṃ vrajet

Translation

Qu’on dresse un étendard aux cinq couleurs au sommet de la demeure (temple) de Dāmodara ; durant la durée mesurée des années divines, il ira au ciel.

Word by Word

• पञ्चवर्णध्वजम्: a five-colored flag
• पञ्चवर्णध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पञ्चवर्णः ध्वजः / पञ्चवर्णानां ध्वजः)

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• दामोदरगृहोपरि: on top of Damodara's house/temple
• दामोदरगृहोपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; उपरि-शब्दप्रधान अव्यय; अर्थे अधिकरण (locative sense): "दामोदरस्य गृहे उपरि"

• तम्: him/that (person)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• प्रमाणवर्षाणि: measured years (for a fixed span)
• प्रमाणवर्षाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रमाणस्य वर्षाणि = measured years)

• दिव्यानि: divine
• दिव्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वर्षाणाम्)

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

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; स्वर्गार्थे

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from the instructional tone in the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpathakṣetra (Dāmodara-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājan) in the dialogue-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small coastal shrine-house of Dāmodara with a tall staff bearing a five-colored banner; devotees fastening cloth streamers while priests chant Vedic hymns; lamps and conch-sound in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor shown to the deity’s abode—even through symbolic offerings like a temple-flag—bears powerful merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dāmodara shrine/temple within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering/raising a five-colored dhvaja (banner) on top of Dāmodara’s temple.