Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तत्रान्योन्यं महीपाला युयुधुर्वसुधातले । सुपूताश्च दिवं यांति यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा जनार्दनम्

Transliteration

tatrānyonyaṃ mahīpālā yuyudhurvasudhātale | supūtāśca divaṃ yāṃti yajñairiṣṭvā janārdanam

Translation

അവിടെ ഭൂമിതലത്തിൽ രാജാക്കന്മാർ പരസ്പരം യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യുന്നു; എങ്കിലും യജ്ഞങ്ങളാൽ ജനാർദനനെ ആരാധിച്ച് നന്നായി ശുദ്ധരായി സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: ‘there/in that age’)

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually
• अन्योन्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: ‘mutually/one another’)

• महीपालाः: kings
• महीपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (kings, protectors of earth)

• युयुधुः: fought
• युयुधुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect 3rd pl (they fought)

• वसुधातले: on the earth’s surface
• वसुधातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (on the surface of the earth)

• सुपूताः: well-purified
• सुपूताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘well-purified’ (agreeing with implied ‘they’/महीपालाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: ‘and’)

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (to heaven)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present 3rd pl (they go)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (by sacrifices)

• इष्ट्वा: having worshipped
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having worshipped/sacrificed’

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object of इष्ट्वा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split narrative: foreground kings in chariot combat on a dusty plain; background a yajña-śālā where priests offer oblations to Janārdana, with a subtle upward path of light indicating svarga-gati for the purified.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīpāla (kings)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• Yajña
• Heaven (diva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid worldly conflict, devotion expressed through yajña can purify and elevate the doer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it remains a general Dvāpara-yuga portrayal within Arbuda-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of Janārdana through yajñas is presented as a purifying act leading to heavenly attainment.