Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

नारोढव्यं रथे देवि शूद्रेण शुभमिच्छता । नाधर्मेण विशेषेण मुक्त्वैकं भोजकं प्रिये

Transliteration

nāroḍhavyaṃ rathe devi śūdreṇa śubhamicchatā | nādharmeṇa viśeṣeṇa muktvaikaṃ bhojakaṃ priye

Translation

हे देवी, शुभ इच्छिणाऱ्या शूद्राने रथावर चढू नये. तसेच अधर्माने कोणतेही कर्म करू नये—हे प्रिये, या विधीसाठी नेमलेला एकमेव भोजक सेवक याला अपवाद आहे।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• आरोढव्यम्: should be mounted
• आरोढव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु; √रुह्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘to be mounted/should be mounted’

• रथे: on the chariot
• रथे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• देवि: O goddess/dear lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन — Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• शूद्रेण: by a Śūdra
• शूद्रेण: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• शुभम्: good fortune; auspiciousness
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छता: wishing (for)
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु; √इष्/इच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; ‘wishing/desiring’ (agreeing with शूद्रेण)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• अधर्मेण: by unrighteous means
• अधर्मेण: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial instrumental) — ‘especially/in particular’

• मुक्त्वा: excepting; leaving aside
• मुक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Exception)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु; √मुच्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having left/excepting

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण (agreeing with भोजकम्)

• भोजकम्: a Bhojaka (person of Bhoja community)
• भोजकम्: Karma (Object of ‘excepting’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन — Feminine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual supervisor instructs attendants beside the chariot; a marked, single bhojaka stands ready at the left; others keep respectful distance; the goddess is addressed in discourse (didactic tone).

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Brahmā
• Bhojaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites should be performed within dharma and with proper ritual role-bound conduct to preserve auspicious merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), praised in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule regarding who may mount the ritual chariot, with a stated exception for the Bhojaka attendant.