Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

मानवाः क्षत्रिया राज्यं कुर्वंतु पृथिवीतले । पातालं तु परित्यज्य धात्री यदि तु रक्ष्यते

Transliteration

mānavāḥ kṣatriyā rājyaṃ kurvaṃtu pṛthivītale | pātālaṃ tu parityajya dhātrī yadi tu rakṣyate

Translation

« Que les Kṣatriyas humains règnent sur la terre. Mais si, en abandonnant Pātāla, il faut protéger la Terre nourricière— »

Word by Word

• मानवाः: men, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas (warrior-rulers)
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• राज्यम्: kingdom, rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वन्तु: let them do / may they rule
• कुर्वन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• पृथिवीतले: on the surface of the earth
• पृथिवीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी-तल (प्रातिपदिक; पृथिवी + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पातालम्: the netherworld (Pātāla)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable); ‘having abandoned’

• धात्री: the Earth (supporter)
• धात्री: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); पुनरुक्त-बलार्थे (emphatic/contrast)

• रक्ष्यते: is protected
• रक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Daityas (continuing the quoted speech; verse is syntactically incomplete and continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative scene: a Daitya spokesman gestures toward an imagined human Kṣatriya king seated on a throne on earth, while the underworld recedes behind; the theme is the transfer/assignment of rulership and protection duties.

Characters & Entities

• Mānavas
• Kṣatriyas
• Pṛthivī (Dhātrī)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulership is framed as protection of the earth (rājadharma), especially assigned to Kṣatriyas among humans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa), where dharma of governance is narrated as part of the site’s sacred storytelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse discusses social and cosmic duties rather than a specific rite.