Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

ऊर्भानुश्च तथा धर्मं धर्मः सत्यं ह्यृत तथा । धर्मं ये धर्मवद्धर्मे धर्मे वै निधनं गताः

Transliteration

ūrbhānuśca tathā dharmaṃ dharmaḥ satyaṃ hyṛta tathā | dharmaṃ ye dharmavaddharme dharme vai nidhanaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

‘ఊర్భాను’ అలాగే ‘ధర్మ’; ‘ధర్మ’మే సత్యం, అదే ఋతం (సార్వత్రిక నియమం) కూడా. ధర్మంలో స్థిరమై ధర్మానుసారంగా జీవించి, ధర్మంలోనే అంత్యాన్ని పొందువారు—ధర్మజ ఫలాన్ని పొందుతారు.

Word by Word

• ऊर्भानुः: Ūrbhānu (name)
• ऊर्भानुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• तथा: likewise / thus
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'thus/also')

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• ऋतम्: cosmic order / ṛta
• ऋतम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha-bodhaka (Adverbial connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun)

• धर्मवत्: righteous / endowed with dharma
• धर्मवत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मवत् (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + वत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन/बहुवचन-समानरूप (indeclinable-like adjective form)

• धर्मे: in dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• धर्मे: in dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• निधनम्: death / end
• निधनम्: Gati-karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• गताः: have gone / reached
• गताः: Kriyā (Predicate; have gone)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Dharma personified holding a staff and scripture, Satya as a clear flame, and Ṛta as a cosmic wheel; pilgrims at Prabhāsa stand with folded hands, indicating that the mantra’s power rests on ethical alignment.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ṛta
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra practice is inseparable from dharma: truthfulness and alignment with ṛta (cosmic order) complete the spiritual path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra setting frames the teaching on dharma and sacred recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is detailed here; the verse emphasizes the ethical prerequisite—steadfastness in dharma—for the japa’s highest fruit.