Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

रघुवंशसमुद्भूतो ह्यजापालो नृपोत्तमः । स तत्र देवीमाराध्य पापरोगवशंकरीम्

Transliteration

raghuvaṃśasamudbhūto hyajāpālo nṛpottamaḥ | sa tatra devīmārādhya pāparogavaśaṃkarīm

Translation

रघुवंश में उत्पन्न अजापाल नामक श्रेष्ठ राजा ने वहाँ उस देवी की आराधना की, जो पाप और रोग के प्रभाव को दबाने वाली है।

Word by Word

• रघुवंशसमुद्भूतः: born from the Raghu dynasty
• रघुवंशसमुद्भूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रघु-वंश-समुद्भूत (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+उद्+√भू (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—खलु/नूनम् (indeed)

• अजापालः: Ajāpāla (goat-herd/one named Ajāpāla)
• अजापालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजापाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अजानां पालः)

• नृप-उत्तमः: the best of kings
• नृप-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः नृपः)

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); अर्थ—‘आराधनं कृत्वा’ (having worshipped)

• पापरोगवशंकरīm: (the goddess) who subdues sinful diseases
• पापरोगवशंकरīm: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-रोग-वशंकरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापरोगाणां वशंकरि—वशीकर्त्री)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ajāpāleśvarī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Raghu-lineage king, Ajāpāla, performs Devī ārādhana at a shrine; offerings of flowers, incense, lamps; the Devī’s presence is protective, subduing shadowy personifications of sin and disease.

Characters & Entities

• Ajāpāla
• Raghuvaṃśa
• Devī (Ajāpāleśvarī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship (ārādhana) is portrayed as a force that overcomes both moral impurity (pāpa) and embodied suffering (roga).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine of the Goddess Ajāpāleśvarī in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship/propitiation of the Goddess (devīm ārādhya) at the site.