Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कामभोगाभिभूतात्मा राज्यं चक्रे प्रतापवान् । ततोऽसौ भवने शंभोर्ददौ शोभासमन्विताम् । ध्वजां शुभ्रां विचित्रां च नान्यत्किंचिदपि प्रभुः

Transliteration

kāmabhogābhibhūtātmā rājyaṃ cakre pratāpavān | tato'sau bhavane śaṃbhordadau śobhāsamanvitām | dhvajāṃ śubhrāṃ vicitrāṃ ca nānyatkiṃcidapi prabhuḥ

Translation

കാമഭോഗങ്ങളാൽ അധീനമായ മനസ്സോടെയായിരുന്നെങ്കിലും അവൻ പ്രതാപവാനായി രാജ്യം ഭരിച്ചു. പിന്നെ ആ പ്രഭു ശംഭുവിന്റെ ഭവനത്തിൽ ശോഭയോടുകൂടിയ, ശുഭ്രവും വർണ്ണവൈവിധ്യമുള്ളതുമായ ധ്വജം സമർപ്പിച്ചു; മറ്റൊന്നും നൽകിയില്ല।

Word by Word

• kāma-bhoga-abhibhūta-ātmā: whose mind was overcome by sensual pleasures
• kāma-bhoga-abhibhūta-ātmā: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक) + abhibhūta (कृदन्त—क्त from abhi-bhū धातु) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘kāma-bhoga’ (desire-enjoyments) + ‘abhibhūta’ (overcome) qualifying ‘ātmā’

• rājyam: kingdom, rule
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakre: ruled, exercised (power)
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• pratāpavān: mighty, valorous
• pratāpavān: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratāpa-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhavane: in the house/temple
• bhavane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी, एकवचन

• śaṃbhoḥ: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhoḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• dadau: gave, offered
• dadau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śobhā-samanvitām: endowed with beauty
• śobhā-samanvitām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śobhā (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त—क्त from sam-anv-i धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘with beauty’ (śobhayā samanvitā) used as adjective to dhvajām

• dhvajām: a banner, flag
• dhvajām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śubhrām: white, bright
• śubhrām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dhvajām)

• vicitrām: variegated, wonderful
• vicitrām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (dhvajām)

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

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kiṃcit: something, anything
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• prabhuḥ: the lord, the ruler
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śambhu’s shrine)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Ṛtadhvaja, adorned yet inwardly subdued, stands before Śiva’s shrine and offers a splendid white, variegated flag; priests and devotees witness as the banner is presented for hoisting.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• dhvajā (flag)
• temple/abode of Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power and pleasure do not negate dharma; offering to Śiva’s abode—even a single focused gift—expresses awakened gratitude and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śambhu’s sacred abode within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya tradition (Śiva’s holy region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Temple-offering (dāna) of a dhvaja (flag) to Śiva’s shrine is described as the king’s act of devotion.