Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

दैवज्ञानथ मन्त्रज्ञान्भिषजस्तांत्रिकांस्तथा । इति सन्नोदितो राज्ञा प्रतीहारो ययौ स्वयम्

Transliteration

daivajñānatha mantrajñānbhiṣajastāṃtrikāṃstathā | iti sannodito rājñā pratīhāro yayau svayam

Translation

Demikian didorong oleh titah raja, bentara itu sendiri pun pergi untuk memanggil mereka yang mahir dalam pertanda dewa, ilmu mantra, perubatan, serta upacara tantra.

Word by Word

• daivajñān: knowers of omens/fate
• daivajñān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक) + jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैवस्य ज्ञानी)

• atha: and/then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and)

• mantrajñān: mantra-knowers
• mantrajñān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्त्रस्य ज्ञानी)

• bhiṣajaḥ: physicians
• bhiṣajaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhiṣaj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूप; सामान्यतः ‘भिषजः’ प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन)

• tāṃtrikān: tantric experts
• tāṃtrikān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāṃtrika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-निर्देशक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• sannoditaḥ: urged/instigated
• sannoditaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + nud (धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (प्रतीहारः)

• rājñā: by the king
• rājñā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• pratīhāraḥ: doorkeeper/chamberlain
• pratīhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb: oneself)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pratīhāra departs the palace, moving through corridors and city lanes, summoning experts—omen-readers, mantra-knowers, physicians, and tantric ritualists—each shown with distinctive attributes (texts, herbs, rosaries, yantra).

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• pratīhāra
• mantrajña
• bhiṣaj
• tāṃtrika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A righteous ruler responds to the extraordinary with discernment—seeking śāstra-guided expertise rather than acting rashly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya, connected to the Prabhāsa sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse lists specialists in mantra, divination, medicine, and tantra being summoned for proper counsel.