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

അവിടെ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ രഥപൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ട് ദീപം ധരിക്കുന്നവൻ, ഓരോ പടിയിലും അശ്വമേധയാഗത്തിന്റെ മഹത്തായ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

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.