Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

स मां नार्हसि हंतुं वै श्रेयश्चेत्त्वं चिकीर्षसि । प्रजानां पृथिवीपाल शृणुष्वेदं वचो मम

Transliteration

sa māṃ nārhasi haṃtuṃ vai śreyaścettvaṃ cikīrṣasi | prajānāṃ pṛthivīpāla śṛṇuṣvedaṃ vaco mama

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നീ സത്യമായി ശ്രേയസ്സിനെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ എന്നെ കൊല്ലുന്നത് നിനക്കുചിതമല്ല. ഹേ ഭൂമിപാലാ, പ്രജാരക്ഷകാ, എന്റെ ഈ വാക്ക് കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (you)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• श्रेयः: the good/better course
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अर्थतः ‘कल्याणम्’

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• चिकीर्षसि: you wish to do
• चिकीर्षसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; सन्नन्त (desiderative) रूप ‘चिकीर्ष’

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects
• प्रजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• पृथिवीपाल: O protector of the earth
• पृथिवीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पृथिव्याः पालः)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhū-devī / Mahī (the Earth goddess) addressing Vainya (Pṛthu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant addresses a crowned king in a sacred coastal tīrtha setting, urging him not to kill and to listen; the king’s hand is raised in a halting gesture, anger restrained.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū-devī (Earth)
• Pṛthivī-pāla (king Pṛthu/Vainya)
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Welfare (śreyas) comes through protection and wise listening—kingship is stewardship, not domination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya setting; the narrative teaches dharma as part of the tīrtha’s sanctifying discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse prescribes ethical restraint and attentive governance.