Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

सितकेशं सितश्मश्रुं सितांबरधरध्वजम् । विटंकाद्यैश्च चेटीभिर्हन्यमानं न पश्यथि

Transliteration

sitakeśaṃ sitaśmaśruṃ sitāṃbaradharadhvajam | viṭaṃkādyaiśca ceṭībhirhanyamānaṃ na paśyathi

Translation

നിങ്ങൾ കാണുന്നില്ലേ—വെളുത്ത മുടിയും വെളുത്ത താടിയും, വെളുത്ത വസ്ത്രം ധരിച്ചു ധ്വജം വഹിക്കുന്നവനെ—ദാസിമാരും സേവകരും ദണ്ഡാദികളാൽ അടിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• सितकेशम्: white-haired
• सितकेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सिताः केशाः यस्य)

• सितश्मश्रुम्: white-bearded
• सितश्मश्रुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित + श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सितं श्मश्रु यस्य)

• सिताम्बरधरध्वजम्: wearing white garments and bearing a banner
• सिताम्बरधरध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिताम्बर + धर + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सिताम्बरं धरति इति/धारकः; ध्वजवत्/ध्वजधारी)

• विटंकाद्यैः: by Viṭaṅka and others
• विटंकाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विटंक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विटंक-आदयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चेटीभिः: by maidservants
• चेटीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेटी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• हन्यमानम्: being beaten
• हन्यमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हन्यमान (कृदन्त, शानच्; कर्मणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रत्यय (being struck)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• पश्यथि: you see
• पश्यथि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; पाठे ‘पश्यथ’ (2nd pl) सम्भवः

Speaker

Festival announcers/performers (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A white-clad, white-haired man bearing a banner is dragged and beaten by female attendants wielding clubs; onlookers point as his false sanctity collapses.

Characters & Entities

• ceṭī (female attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False status and outward marks do not protect one from the consequences of adharma; public satire exposes and corrects misconduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where festival processions and satire are integrated into the tīrtha’s dharmic culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A public, satirical beating/procession scene performed by attendants as part of the festival’s instructive displays.