Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कान्यकुब्जे महाक्षेत्रे राजा भोजेति विश्रुतः । पुरा पुण्ययुगे धर्म्यः प्रजा धर्मेण शासति

Transliteration

kānyakubje mahākṣetre rājā bhojeti viśrutaḥ | purā puṇyayuge dharmyaḥ prajā dharmeṇa śāsati

Translation

Dans la grande région sacrée de Kānyakubja, il y eut un roi renommé, nommé Bhoja. Jadis, en cet âge propice, ce souverain juste gouvernait ses sujets selon le dharma.

Word by Word

• कान्यकुब्जे: in Kānyakubja (Kannauj)
• कान्यकुब्जे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्यकुब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred region
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महत् + क्षेत्र; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• भोज: Bhoja (name)
• भोज: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘इति’पूर्वकं नामनिर्देश (name in apposition)

• इति: thus, called
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशक (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: renowned
• विश्रुतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘राजा’विशेषण

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पुण्ययुगे: in the auspicious age
• पुण्ययुगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्ययुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: पुण्यस्य युगम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• धर्म्यः: righteous, virtuous
• धर्म्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘राजा’विशेषण

• प्रजाः: the subjects, people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मपद

• धर्मेण: by/with dharma (righteousness)
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• शासति: rules, governs
• शासति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kānyakubja mahākṣetra (as narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flashback begins: in the great sacred region of Kānyakubja, King Bhoja—righteous and famed—rules his people according to dharma in an auspicious former age.

Characters & Entities

• Kānyakubja
• King Bhoja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The foundation for receiving tīrtha-merit is dharmic living—rulers and communities prosper when governance aligns with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is being introduced indirectly; this verse sets the historical frame in Kānyakubja before the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra episode unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes rājadharma (ethical rule) rather than a specific rite.