Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

आत्मा चेति क्रमाज्ज्ञेया रुद्राधिपतयः क्रमात् । तेषां यात्रां क्रमाद्वक्ष्ये सर्वप्राणिहिताय वै

Transliteration

ātmā ceti kramājjñeyā rudrādhipatayaḥ kramāt | teṣāṃ yātrāṃ kramādvakṣye sarvaprāṇihitāya vai

Translation

അടുത്തതായി ക്രമത്തിൽ ‘ആത്മാവ്’ അറിയേണ്ടതാണ്; അതുപോലെ ക്രമാനുസാരമായി രുദ്രരൂപ അധിപതികളെയും. സർവ്വജീവികളുടെ ഹിതാർത്ഥം അവരുടെ യാത്രാമാർഗം ഞാൻ ക്രമമായി വിവരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• आत्मा: the Self; Ātmā
• आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• इति: thus; as (named)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• क्रमात्: in order; step by step
• क्रमात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense of 'in order/stepwise')

• ज्ञेयाः: to be known
• ज्ञेयाः: Karma (कर्म/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः भाव्य/विधेय-विशेषणम् (gerundive/‘to be known’); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• रुद्राधिपतयः: lords of the Rudras
• रुद्राधिपतयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rudrāṇām adhipatayaḥ); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• क्रमात्: in sequence
• क्रमात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage; journey (rite)
• यात्राम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• क्रमात्: in order
• क्रमात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Karta (कर्ता/Speaker)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वप्राणिहिताय: for the benefit of all beings
• सर्वप्राणिहिताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Beneficiary)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्राणि + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासार्थः (‘for the welfare of all beings’); नपुंसकलिङ्गे हित-शब्दः, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative/4th), एकवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ekādaśa-Rudra-yātrā (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified beloved interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A conceptual map unfolds: eleven stations presided over by Rudra-lords, arranged in a clockwise circuit; the final station shines as Ātman, suggesting both pilgrimage route and inner ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman
• Rudra
• Rudrādhipati
• Yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is presented as a structured spiritual practice aligned with cosmic principles, undertaken for universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Rudra-related yātrā is to be performed in an ordered manner.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ordered yātrā (sequential visitation) to the Rudra shrines is prescribed; details follow in subsequent verses.