Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

ततो वैन्यं महाभागं प्रजाः समभिदुद्रुवुः । त्वं नो वृत्तिविधातेति महर्षिवचनात्तथा

Transliteration

tato vainyaṃ mahābhāgaṃ prajāḥ samabhidudruvuḥ | tvaṃ no vṛttividhāteti maharṣivacanāttathā

Translation

பின்னர் மக்கள் அந்த மகாபாக்யமான வைன்யனை நோக்கி ஓடிவந்து, மகரிஷிகளின் சொல்லின்படி—“எங்கள் வாழ்வாதாரமும் நலனும் ஏற்பாடு செய்ய வேண்டியது நீரே” என்று வேண்டினர்।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (thereupon)

• vainyam: Vainya (Pṛthu)
• vainyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masc, Acc, Sg.

• mahābhāgam: most fortunate, illustrious
• mahābhāgam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः/सौभाग्यं यस्य) — Masc, Acc, Sg.

• prajāḥ: the subjects
• prajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Fem, Nom, Pl.

• samabhidudruvuḥ: ran up to, rushed towards
• samabhidudruvuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-abhi-dru (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd pl.

• tvam: you
• tvam: Sambodhana/Prayojaka (Addressed subject/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative, Sg.

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (enclitic) — Genitive, Pl.

• vṛttividhātā: provider/arranger of livelihood
• vṛttividhātā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti + vidhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वृत्तिं विधत्ते इति) — Masc, Nom, Sg.

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

• maharṣivacanāt: because of the sages' words
• maharṣivacanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महर्षिणां वचनात्) — Neut, Ablative, Sg.

• tathā: accordingly, so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: so/accordingly)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) reporting the people’s appeal

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Subjects surge forward toward Pṛthu, hands folded, faces anxious yet hopeful; sages’ words hover as moral authority; Pṛthu stands poised to act.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Mahārṣis
• Prajā (subjects)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Society looks to dharmic leadership; prosperity is sustained when rulers accept responsibility for the people’s welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is situated within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, connecting dharma-kathā to the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it highlights governance aligned with the guidance of sages.