Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

खेचरं वेगि नित्यं च तस्य राज्ञो महात्मनः । स तेन पर्यटंल्लोकान्सर्वान्देवि स्वकामतः

Transliteration

khecaraṃ vegi nityaṃ ca tasya rājño mahātmanaḥ | sa tena paryaṭaṃllokānsarvāndevi svakāmataḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാത്മ രാജാവിന് ആകാശഗാമിയായ, വേഗവാനും നിത്യം സന്നദ്ധവുമായ ഒരു വാഹനം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ഹേ ദേവീ! അതിലൂടെ അവൻ സ്വേച്ഛാനുസാരം സർവ്വലോകങ്ങളും പര്യടനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• खेचरम्: sky-going, aerial
• खेचरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खेचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (खं चरति इति)

• वेगि: swift
• वेगि: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (इकारान्त)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (king)
• महात्मनः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तेन: by/with that (lotus/vehicle)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पर्यटन्: wandering about
• पर्यटन्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अट् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• देवि: O goddess (lady)
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• स्व-कामतः: according to his own wish
• स्व-कामतः: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतौ/इच्छानुसार (according to one’s desire)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The great king possesses a swift, ever-ready sky-moving conveyance; he travels through all worlds at will—an expansive cosmic panorama of lokas beneath a flying chariot/vimāna.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even vast mobility and power find their highest purpose when directed toward sacred destinations and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s trajectory is toward Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Someśvara/Somanātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the means of travel.