Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रक्षोघ्नं च यशस्यं च काश्मीर्यं पात्रमुच्यते । सौभाग्यमुत्तमं लोके मधूके समुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

rakṣoghnaṃ ca yaśasyaṃ ca kāśmīryaṃ pātramucyate | saubhāgyamuttamaṃ loke madhūke samudāhṛtam

Translation

കാശ്മീർയ്യ മരത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള പാത്രം ദുഷ്ടബാധ നാശകവും യശസ്സു നൽകുന്നതുമെന്നു പറയുന്നു; മധൂക പാത്രം ലോകത്തിൽ ഉത്തമ സൗഭാഗ്യം നൽകുന്നു എന്നും പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• रक्षोघ्नम्: destroyer of demons
• रक्षोघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षस्+घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘रक्षसां घ्नः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यशस्यम्: fame-giving, glorious
• यशस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• काश्मीर्यम्: Kāśmīrya (Kashmir product, esp. saffron)
• काश्मीर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्मीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्रव्य/गुणवाचक (Kashmiri saffron/thing from Kashmir)

• पात्रम्: vessel, bowl
• पात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सौभाग्यम्: good fortune
• सौभाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सौभाग्यम्’ इति विशेषण

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मधूके: in/at the madhūka (tree)
• मधूके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• समुदाहृतम्: is declared/mentioned
• समुदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+आहृ (धातु) → समुदाहृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘सौभाग्यम्’ इति कर्मसमानाधिकरण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ritual vessels are displayed on a clean altar: one carved from kāśmīrya wood with protective motifs; another from madhūka wood with auspicious floral designs. A priest blesses them; shadowy ‘rakṣas’ motifs dissolve near the kāśmīrya vessel, while prosperity symbols gather around the madhūka vessel.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśmīrya (wood)
• Madhūka (tree/wood)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the materials used in dharmic rites are sacralized; choosing them with faith and rule is said to shape the rite’s protective and auspicious effects.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such material prescriptions are taught as part of its śrāddha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of kāśmīrya-wood vessels is praised for protection and fame; madhūka-wood vessels are praised for exceptional good fortune.