Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अध्वनि श्रांतदेहस्य वाहनं यः प्रयच्छति । हंसयुक्तेन स नरो विमानेन दिवं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

adhvani śrāṃtadehasya vāhanaṃ yaḥ prayacchati | haṃsayuktena sa naro vimānena divaṃ vrajet

Translation

വഴിയിൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ച ദേഹമുള്ള യാത്രക്കാരന് വാഹനം നൽകുന്നവൻ, ഹംസയുക്തമായ വിമാനം കയറി സ്വർഗത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• अध्वनि: on the road, in the journey
• अध्वनि: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• श्रान्त-देहस्य: of (one) whose body is tired
• श्रान्त-देहस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रान्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (श्रान्तः देहः यस्य)

• वाहनम्: a vehicle, conveyance
• वाहनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• हंस-युक्तेन: with (a vehicle) yoked with swans
• हंस-युक्तेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हंसैः युक्तः)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम

• नरः: man, person
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• विमानेन: by an aerial car
• विमानेन: करण (Instrument/vehicle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go, may go
• व्रजेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim on a long road is offered a conveyance by a compassionate donor; above, a radiant vimāna drawn by white swans appears as a visionary promise of svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Svarga
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Removing a pilgrim’s hardship is treated as sacred service that yields exalted posthumous reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā pilgrimage is the implied context; the verse praises aiding travelers on that sacred route.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vāhana-dāna: providing a vehicle/ride to a weary traveler during yātrā.