Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

षोडशैते नृपा धन्याः प्रभासं क्षेत्रमाश्रिताः । वृषध्वजेशमाराध्य यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा दिवं गताः

Transliteration

ṣoḍaśaite nṛpā dhanyāḥ prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāśritāḥ | vṛṣadhvajeśamārādhya yajñairiṣṭvā divaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

ഈ പതിനാറു ധന്യരാജാക്കന്മാർ പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ ആശ്രയം പ്രാപിച്ചു. വൃഷധ്വജേശനായ ശിവനെ ആരാധിച്ച് യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തി അവർ സ്വർഗ്ഗം പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण; (एते इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• धन्याः: fortunate/blessed
• धन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in/resorted to
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (having resorted to)

• वृषध्वजेशम्: Vṛṣadhvajeśa (Lord with the bull-banner)
• वृषध्वजेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषध्वज + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शिव-नाम

• आराध्य: having worshipped
• आराध्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त; अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having worshipped/propitiated’

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having performed sacrifice
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √यज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त; अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having sacrificed/worshipped’

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक: दिव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गताः: went/attained
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (kathā-śrotṛs)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sixteen crowned kings stand on the sandy-littoral sacred ground of Prabhāsa, facing a Śiva-liṅga/temple bannered with the bull-emblem; sacrificial fires blaze, priests chant, and the kings are shown ascending toward a luminous svarga path.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Vṛṣadhvaja
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Resorting to a sacred kṣetra and worshipping Śiva with dharmic rites leads to exalted spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhās), explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ārādhana (propitiatory worship) of Vṛṣadhvaja-Śiva and performance of yajñas (sacrificial rites).