Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा परमं प्रीताः प्रजा ऊचुर्महर्षयः । एष वो वृत्तिदो वैन्यो विहितोऽथ नराधिपः

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā paramaṃ prītāḥ prajā ūcurmaharṣayaḥ | eṣa vo vṛttido vainyo vihito'tha narādhipaḥ

Translation

അവനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ പരമാനന്ദം നിറഞ്ഞ പ്രജകൾ മഹർഷിമാരോട് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഇവൻ വൈന്യൻ (വേനന്റെ വംശജൻ); നിങ്ങള്ക്ക് ഉപജീവനം നൽകുവാൻ നിയുക്തനായ നരാധിപൻ ഇദ്ദേഹമാണ്।”

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masc, Acc, Sg.

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — Absolutive

• paramam: greatly, exceedingly
• paramam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘प्रीताः’ इत्यस्य क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (अत्यन्तम्) — Acc Sg used adverbially

• prītāḥ: pleased
• prītāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prī (धातु) + prīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle, Masc, Nom, Pl.

• prajāḥ: the subjects, people
• prajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nom, Pl.

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd pl.

• maharṣayaḥ: great sages
• maharṣayaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः ऋषयः) — Masc, Nom, Pl.

• eṣaḥ: this (man)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masc, Nom, Sg.

• vaḥ: your
• vaḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (enclitic) — Genitive, Pl.

• vṛttidaḥ: giver of livelihood/support
• vṛttidaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti + da (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वृत्तिं ददाति इति) — Masc, Nom, Sg.

• vainyaḥ: Vainya (descendant of Vena; Pṛthu)
• vainyaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vainya (प्रातिपदिक; वैन्य-वंश/पृथोः अपत्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masc, Nom, Sg.

• vihitaḥ: appointed, ordained
• vihitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु) + vihita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masc, Nom, Sg.

• atha: then, indeed
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गवाचक अव्यय (particle: then/now)

• narādhipaḥ: king, lord of men
• narādhipaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अधिपः) — Masc, Nom, Sg.

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing events

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A joyous populace beholds Vainya/Pṛthu; great sages stand nearby; the people proclaim him appointed as their sustainer, with gestures of welcome and reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Vena (implied)
• Mahārṣis
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A king’s dharma is prajā-pālana—ensuring the people’s livelihood and stability as a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region) is the framing sacred landscape in this section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes righteous governance (rāja-dharma) rather than a specific rite.