Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

युक्तं रथं दिव्यमादित्यवर्णं भयावहं पश्यतो दारुकस्य । ते सागरस्योपरिष्टाद्वर्तमानान्मनोजवांश्चतुरो वाजिमुख्यान्

Transliteration

yuktaṃ rathaṃ divyamādityavarṇaṃ bhayāvahaṃ paśyato dārukasya | te sāgarasyopariṣṭādvartamānānmanojavāṃścaturo vājimukhyān

Translation

దారుకుడు చూస్తుండగా సూర్యవర్ణమైన దివ్యమైన భయంకర రథం ప్రత్యక్షమైంది. అది సముద్రం మీదుగా సాగుతూ, మనోజవములైన నాలుగు శ్రేష్ఠ అశ్వాలతో యుక్తమై ఉంది.

Word by Word

• yuktam: yoked/harnessed
• yuktam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yuj (युज् धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ratham इति)

• ratham: chariot
• ratham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ratham इति)

• āditya-varṇam: sun-coloured
• āditya-varṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āditya + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/उपमान-भाव): ādityasya varṇaḥ iva, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ratham इति)

• bhayāvaham: fear-bringing/terrifying
• bhayāvaham: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक; √vah with ā-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: bhayam āvahati iti, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ratham इति)

• paśyataḥ: of (him) watching
• paśyataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारे शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन — ‘while (he) was seeing’

• dārukasya: of Dāruka
• dārukasya: Sambandha (Possessor/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāruka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sāgarasya: of the ocean
• sāgarasya: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• upariṣṭāt: above
• upariṣṭāt: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upariṣṭāt (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (spatial adverb: above)

• vartamānān: moving/being present
• vartamānān: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛt (वृत् धातु) + शानच्
• Form: आत्मनेपदी वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (vājimukhyān इति)

• manojavān: swift as the mind
• manojavān: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manas + java (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: manasaḥ javaḥ yasya, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (vājimukhyān इति)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• caturaḥ: four
• caturaḥ: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (vājimukhyān इति)

• vāji-mukhyān: the foremost horses
• vāji-mukhyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vājin + mukhya (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: vājīnām mukhyāḥ, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual deduction within Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dāruka stands watching as a sun-hued, fearsome divine chariot appears above the ocean, yoked to four mind-swift horses; the sea below glitters, wind and spray rising.

Characters & Entities

• Dāruka
• Divine chariot
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas portray the cosmos responding to destiny through visions and signs; such moments call for humility and readiness to follow dharma’s direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, oriented toward the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual appears in this verse.