Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 198

Devanagari script

वैश्यः समृद्धिमतुलां क्षत्रियः पृथिवीपतिः । वणिजश्चापि वाणिज्यमखंडं शतसंख्यया । लभेयुः कीर्तनादस्याः सूर्योत्पत्तेर्वरानने

Transliteration

vaiśyaḥ samṛddhimatulāṃ kṣatriyaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | vaṇijaścāpi vāṇijyamakhaṃḍaṃ śatasaṃkhyayā | labheyuḥ kīrtanādasyāḥ sūryotpattervarānane

Translation

ഹേ വരാനനേ, സൂര്യപ്രകടനത്തിന്റെ ഈ മഹിമ കീർത്തിച്ചാൽ വൈശ്യന് അതുല സമൃദ്ധി ലഭിക്കുന്നു; ക്ഷത്രിയൻ ഭൂമിപതിയാകുന്നു; വ്യാപാരിയുടെ വാണിജ്യം നൂറിരട്ടിയായി വർധിച്ച് അഖണ്ഡമായി നിലനിൽക്കും.

Word by Word

• वैश्यः: a vaiśya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समृद्धिम्: prosperity
• समृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अतुलाम्: incomparable
• अतुलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• क्षत्रियः: a kṣatriya
• क्षत्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृथिवीपतिः: lord of the earth (king)
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वणिजः: a merchant
• वणिजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• वाणिज्यम्: trade/commerce
• वाणिज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अखण्डम्: unbroken/undiminished
• अखण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• शतसंख्यया: by the count of a hundred; in hundreds
• शतसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण) (परिमाण/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• लभेयुः: may obtain
• लभेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कीर्तनात्: from (the act of) praising/reciting
• कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्याः: of this (goddess/this [account])
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सूर्योत्पत्तेः: of the Sun's origin
• सूर्योत्पत्तेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-utpatti-kathā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā/Bhāminī (a addressed ‘fair-faced’ lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a blazing yet auspicious Sūrya, a reciter praises the Sun’s manifestation; a Vaiśya receives overflowing grain and coins, a Kṣatriya is anointed as ruler, and a merchant’s ships and caravans multiply, symbolizing hundredfold trade.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Sūrya
• Vaiśya
• Kṣatriya
• Vaṇij (merchant)
• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Arkasthala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kīrtana (praise/recitation) of divine manifestation aligned with dharma yields fitting worldly fruits according to one’s station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arkasthala/Prabhāsakṣetra narrative of Sūrya’s manifestation (sūryotpatti) is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana—reciting/praising the account of Sūrya’s manifestation associated with this māhātmya.