Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 193

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति चौषध्यः फालकृष्टाः प्रजास्ततः । वार्त्तया वर्तयंति स्म पाल्यमानाश्च क्षत्रियैः

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti cauṣadhyaḥ phālakṛṣṭāḥ prajāstataḥ | vārttayā vartayaṃti sma pālyamānāśca kṣatriyaiḥ

Translation

அந்நாள்முதல் உழவால் உழுத நிலத்தில் மூலிகைகளும் பயிர்களும் விளைந்தன; பின்னர் மக்கள் வேளாண்மை மற்றும் வாணிபத்தால் வாழ்ந்தனர், க்ஷத்திரியரால் காக்கப்பட்டு.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आप्रभृति: from then onwards
• आप्रभृति: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आप्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (from that time onward)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ओषध्यः: herbs/plants
• ओषध्यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• फालकृष्टाः: ploughed up
• फालकृष्टाः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ओषध्यः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फाल (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (P.P.P. used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: फालेन कृष्टाः (ploughed by ploughshare)

• प्रजाः: people/subjects
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject; with implied 'were')
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thereupon/thereafter)

• वार्त्तया: by agriculture/means of livelihood
• वार्त्तया: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• वर्तयन्ति: they sustain themselves / carry on
• वर्तयन्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: वृत् (to live/maintain oneself) causative sense in usage (to carry on)

• स्म: indeed/used to
• स्म: Avyaya (Aspect marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (past-habitual/continuative particle)

• पाल्यमानाः: being protected
• पाल्यमानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier of प्रजाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त (Present Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; धातु: पाल् (to protect)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्षत्रियैः: by the Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Karana (Agent in passive/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Characters & Entities

• Kṣatriya
• vārttā (livelihood)
• phāla (ploughshare)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Society thrives when livelihoods are orderly (vārttā) and protection is righteous—each class performing its stabilizing duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse addresses societal structure rather than a named sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the establishment of agrarian livelihood and governance.