Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

रथमारुह्य वेगेन गतो नक्षत्रमंडलम् । रथं तु कांचनं दिव्यं मणिरत्नविभूषितम्

Transliteration

rathamāruhya vegena gato nakṣatramaṃḍalam | rathaṃ tu kāṃcanaṃ divyaṃ maṇiratnavibhūṣitam

Translation

அவன் ரதத்தில் ஏறி வேகமாக நட்சத்திரமண்டலத்திற்குச் சென்றான். அந்த ரதம் தெய்வீகமான பொன்னரதமாக, மணி-ரத்தினங்களால் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்டது.

Word by Word

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having mounted’

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गतः: went/has gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: the circle of constellations
• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (constellation-circle: ‘circle of stars’)

• रथम्: the chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मणिरत्नविभूषितम्: adorned with gems and jewels
• मणिरत्नविभूषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि + रत्न + विभूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (ornamented with jewels and gems), भूतकृदन्त विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal figure mounts a divine golden chariot studded with gems and surges upward into the starry sphere, the night sky opening like a cosmic road.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha (implied)
• nakṣatra-maṇḍala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma can require transcending ordinary limits; the Purāṇas depict cosmic-scale responsibility undertaken for the welfare of beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though the action moves into the celestial sphere, the textual setting remains the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is descriptive narrative of a divine journey.