Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन राष्ट्रस्य क्षेममिच्छता । रथयात्रां विशेषेण स्वयं राजा प्रवर्त्तयेत्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena rāṣṭrasya kṣemamicchatā | rathayātrāṃ viśeṣeṇa svayaṃ rājā pravarttayet

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് രാജ്യക്ഷേമം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന രാജാവ് സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെയും, പ്രത്യേകമായി സ്വയം ഈ രഥയാത്ര ആരംഭിപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• sarva-prayatnena: with all effort
• sarva-prayatnena: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• rāṣṭrasya: of the kingdom
• rāṣṭrasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• kṣemam: welfare, security
• kṣemam: Karman (Object of desiring)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• icchatā: by (one) desiring
• icchatā: Kartṛ-sādhana (Agent in instrumental)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); धातुः √इष् (इच्छति); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; “by one who desires”

• ratha-yātrām: the chariot procession
• ratha-yātrām: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (रथस्य यात्रा)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially: especially)

• svayam: personally
• svayam: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Emphatic to subject)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः/स्वतः अर्थे (oneself, personally)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• pravarttayet: should set in motion/organize
• pravarttayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-; धातुः √वृत् (प्रवर्तते/प्रवर्तयति—णिच् causative: cause to proceed/organize)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Brahmā-rathayātrā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, crowned yet humble, steps forward to pull/launch Brahmā’s chariot amid ministers, priests, and citizens; banners fly; the act is portrayed as protection of the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā (king)
• Rāṣṭra (kingdom)
• Ratha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public dharma and sacred festivals are linked with collective welfare; rulers should actively uphold them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the chariot-festival is treated as a rite benefiting the realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The king should personally and diligently organize the ratha-yātrā.