Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तमेवाराधयेन्मनाक् । निर्विघ्नं क्षेत्रवासार्थं राजा वाऽश्वविवृद्धये

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tamevārādhayenmanāk | nirvighnaṃ kṣetravāsārthaṃ rājā vā'śvavivṛddhaye

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ ശ്രമത്തോടെയും—അൽപമെങ്കിലും—അവനെയേ ആരാധിക്കണം; അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ ക്ഷേത്രവാസം നിർവിഘ്നമാകും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ രാജാവിന് അശ്വവർദ്ധി (അശ്വസേനാബലം) ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (ablative: therefore/from that)

• sarvaprayatnena: with all effort
• sarvaprayatnena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: by means of)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ārādhayet: should worship/propitiate
• ārādhayet: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rādh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• manāk: even a little
• manāk: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: manāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: a little)

• nirvighnam: free of obstacles
• nirvighnam: Prayojana (Purpose/result/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; (elliptic: ‘to make/for being’)

• kṣetravāsārtham: for the purpose of dwelling in the sacred field
• kṣetravāsārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra-vāsa-artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• rājā: a king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विकल्पे (as an alternative subject)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: or)

• aśvavivṛddhaye: for the increase of horses
• aśvavivṛddhaye: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva-vivṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (dative: for)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra quarter-shrine near Sāvitrī (same as 160.2–3)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a small pūjā at the shrine before entering the sacred precinct for residence; beside him a king performs grand worship, behind him a stable of strong horses symbolizing cavalry growth; obstacles depicted as fading shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Raivantaka
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even modest, sincere worship can remove impediments; dharma supports both pilgrims (kṣetra-vāsa) and rulers (kṣatra needs).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raivantaka’s worship-site within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, linked to obstacle-free sacred residence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhanā (propitiatory worship) of Raivantaka, with stated fruits: nirvighna kṣetra-vāsa and aśva-vivṛddhi for kings.