Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

अच्छावाकश्च शाकल्यो ग्रावस्थः क्रतुरेव च । प्रस्थाता प्रतिपूर्वो यः शालंकायन एव च

Transliteration

acchāvākaśca śākalyo grāvasthaḥ kratureva ca | prasthātā pratipūrvo yaḥ śālaṃkāyana eva ca

Translation

ശാകല്യൻ അച്ഛാവാകയായി, ക്രതു ഗ്രാവസ്ഥയായി നിയമിതനായി. പ്രതിപൂർവൻ പ്രസ്ഥാതൃയായി, ശാലങ്കായനനും തത്തുല്യമായി തന്റെ സ്ഥാനത്ത് നിയമിതനായി.

Word by Word

• acchāvākaḥ: the Acchāvāka priest
• acchāvākaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acchāvāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• śākalyaḥ: Śākalya (name)
• śākalyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• grāvasthaḥ: the Grāvastha priest
• grāvasthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāvastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kratuḥ: Kratu (name)
• kratuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis: 'indeed/just')

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

• prasthātā: the Prasthātā priest
• prasthātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasthātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• pratipūrvaḥ: Pratipūrva (name)
• pratipūrvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratipūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun: 'who')

• śālaṃkāyanaḥ: Śālaṃkāyana (name)
• śālaṃkāyanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālaṃkāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

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

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Assistants manage soma-pressing stones and chant-support: Śākalya as Acchāvāka recites supporting verses; Kratu as Grāvastha oversees pressing stones; Pratipūrva as Prasthātṛ guides movements; Śālaṃkāyana stands with ritual checklist/implements.

Characters & Entities

• Śākalya
• Kratu
• Pratipūrva
• Śālaṃkāyana
• Acchāvāka
• Grāvastha
• Prasthātṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred work is perfected through specialization—each ritual function supports the whole, reflecting cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a premier site where yajña is conducted with full Vedic staffing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It continues the enumeration of ṛtvij functions, including Acchāvāka, Grāvastha, and Prasthātṛ.