Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

यो दीपं धारयेत्तत्र ब्रह्मणो रथपृष्ठगः । पदेपदेऽश्वमेधस्य स फलं विंदते महत्

Transliteration

yo dīpaṃ dhārayettatra brahmaṇo rathapṛṣṭhagaḥ | padepade'śvamedhasya sa phalaṃ viṃdate mahat

Translation

Barangsiapa di sana memegang pelita sambil berdiri di atas (atau menyertai) kereta Brahmā, ia memperoleh pada tiap langkah buah agung dari yajña Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• dīpam: a lamp
• dīpam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• dhārayet: should hold/carry
• dhārayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः √धृ (धारयति—णिच् causative)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: there)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ratha-pṛṣṭha-gaḥ: standing/going on the back of the chariot
• ratha-pṛṣṭha-gaḥ: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (रथपृष्ठे गच्छति/स्थितः)

• pade-pade: at every step
• pade-pade: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; सप्तमी-एकवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् (at every step)

• aśvamedhasya: of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• aśvamedhasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• phalam: fruit, merit
• phalam: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• vindate: obtains
• vindate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः √विद् (विन्दते = obtains)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying phalam)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Brahma-ratha/Brāhma-rathotsava context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, a grand Brahmā-ratha stands adorned; a devotee on the chariot-platform holds a blazing lamp while priests chant; crowds circumambulate, each step counted as yajña-merit.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dīpa (lamp)
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble service offered in a sacred festival—like bearing a lamp—can yield extraordinary merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, in the context of Brahmā’s ratha festival.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Holding/bearing a lamp (dīpa-sevā) in connection with Brahmā’s chariot.