Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अथासौ पर्वते रम्ये लोकानां नृपसत्तम । महिषी रक्षयामास ततः पिंडारकर्मणि

Transliteration

athāsau parvate ramye lokānāṃ nṛpasattama | mahiṣī rakṣayāmāsa tataḥ piṃḍārakarmaṇi

Translation

அரசர்களில் சிறந்தவனே, பின்னர் அவன் அந்த அழகிய மலையில் மக்களைப் பாதுகாத்தான்; அதன் பின் பிண்டாரகத்துடன் தொடர்புடைய புனித அனுஷ்டானங்களில் ஈடுபட்டான்.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• asau: that man (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• parvate: on/in a mountain
• parvate: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ramye: beautiful
• ramye: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; parvate इति विशेषणम्

• lokānām: of the people
• lokānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• nṛpasattama: O best of kings
• nṛpasattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa-sattama (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• mahiṣīm: a buffalo-cow (female buffalo)
• mahiṣīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• rakṣayāmāsa: protected; guarded
• rakṣayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणम् (thereafter)

• piṃḍārakarmaṇi: at Piṇḍāraka (region/place)
• piṃḍārakarmaṇi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṃḍāraka-armaṇi? / piṃḍāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna-sense
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पाठे 'पिंडारकर्मणि' = पिंडारक-आर्मणि/अर्मणि इति देशविशेषे (locative)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in Purāṇic narration (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Piṇḍāraka

Type: tirtha/ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a verdant, lovely mountain, the man stands watchfully with staff, guarding cattle/people; in a later vignette he approaches a sacred spot associated with Piṇḍāraka rites, carrying offerings for ancestral observance.

Characters & Entities

• Piṇḍāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It harmonizes rāja-dharma (protecting people) with tīrtha-dharma (performing sacred observances), presenting both as complementary duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Piṇḍāraka is referenced as the focal tīrtha for associated rites and merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engagement in Piṇḍāraka-related karmas—pilgrimage observances/rites connected with that sacred place.