Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

प्रार्थयामास हृष्टात्मा वरमेवं शनेस्तदा । न भेत्तव्यं च शकटं त्वया भास्करनंदन

Transliteration

prārthayāmāsa hṛṣṭātmā varamevaṃ śanestadā | na bhettavyaṃ ca śakaṭaṃ tvayā bhāskaranaṃdana

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഹർഷിതഹൃദയത്തോടെ അദ്ദേഹം ശനിയോട് ഇങ്ങനെ വരം അപേക്ഷിച്ചു—“ഹേ ഭാസ്കരനന്ദന, നീ ശകടം (വണ്ടി) ഒരിക്കലും തകർക്കരുത്.”

Word by Word

• प्रार्थयामास: requested/begged
• प्रार्थयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘प्रार्थयामास’ = begged/requested

• हृष्टात्मा: delighted in heart
• हृष्टात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (हृष्-धातु, क्त) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः = one whose self is delighted

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार-वाचक

• शनेः: of Śani
• शनेः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• भेत्तव्यम्: must not be broken
• भेत्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha-kriya (Prohibitive obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘न भेत्तव्यम्’ = must not be broken

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शकटम्: cart
• शकटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भास्करनन्दन: O son of Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्करनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भास्करस्य नन्दनः)

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator) with embedded address by Daśaratha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, delighted, asks Śani (son of Bhāskara) for a protective boon: that the Śakaṭa (waggon) not be broken—symbolizing safe passage and stability.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Śani
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Śakaṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and right petition seek the prevention of public calamities; dharma aims at stability and protection of life’s supports.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Māhātmya preserves protective boons connected to cosmic forces like Śani.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it is a boon-request framed as a protective injunction.