Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

रक्तवस्त्रयुगच्छन्नं ताम्रपात्रेण संयुतम् । रथो रुक्मफलस्यैव एकचित्रविचित्रितः

Transliteration

raktavastrayugacchannaṃ tāmrapātreṇa saṃyutam | ratho rukmaphalasyaiva ekacitravicitritaḥ

Translation

രുക്മഫല അർപ്പണാർത്ഥം രണ്ടു ചുവന്ന വസ്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടതും താമ്രപാത്രം സഹിതവും ഏകവിശിഷ്ട അലങ്കാരചിത്രംകൊണ്ട് ശോഭിതവുമായ രഥം ഒരുക്കേണ്ടതാണ്।

Word by Word

• रक्तवस्त्रयुगच्छन्नम्: covered with a pair of red cloths
• रक्तवस्त्रयुगच्छन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त + वस्त्र + युग + छन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘छन्न’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (रक्तवस्त्रयुगेन छन्नः) — ‘(कुम्भम्/मूर्तिम्)’ इत्यादि पूर्वोक्तं विशेषयति

• ताम्रपात्रेण: with a copper vessel
• ताम्रपात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (ताम्रं पात्रम्)

• संयुतम्: joined/associated
• संयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(कुम्भम्/मूर्तिम्)’ इत्यादि विशेषण

• रथः: a chariot
• रथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• रुक्मफलस्य: of the golden fruit
• रुक्मफलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मफल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रुक्मस्य फलम्)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक

• एकचित्रविचित्रितः: decorated in a uniquely variegated manner
• एकचित्रविचित्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + चित्र + विचित्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘विचित्रित’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रथः’ इति विशेषण; (एकेन चित्रेण/एकरूपेण विचित्रितः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small ritual chariot (ratha) set for offering, draped in two red cloths, with a copper vessel placed prominently; the ratha bears a single distinctive ornamental motif, ready for rukma-phala offering in a tīrtha pavilion setting.

Characters & Entities

• Ratha (ritual chariot)
• Copper vessel (tāmra-pātra)
• Red cloth (rakta-vastra)
• Rukma-phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expresses itself through careful, auspicious preparation—beauty and correctness in offering become acts of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where such Āditya-related rites are described as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a decorated ritual ratha with red cloth coverings and a copper vessel, connected with the offering termed rukma-phala.