Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

योगेशीं भ्रामयेद्राष्ट्रे स्वयं राजा स्वसैन्यवान् । नदद्भिः शंखपटहैः पठद्भिर्बटुचारणैः

Transliteration

yogeśīṃ bhrāmayedrāṣṭre svayaṃ rājā svasainyavān | nadadbhiḥ śaṃkhapaṭahaiḥ paṭhadbhirbaṭucāraṇaiḥ

Translation

พระราชาเองพร้อมด้วยกองทัพ พึงนำพระโยคีศีเสด็จแห่เวียนไปทั่วแว่นแคว้น—ท่ามกลางเสียงสังข์และปะทะหะกึกก้อง และบทสรรเสริญที่เหล่าศิษย์หนุ่มกับกวีขับขาน

Word by Word

• योगेशीम्: Yogeśī (mistress of yoga)
• योगेशीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग + ईशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (योगानाम् ईशी)

• भ्रामयेत्: should cause to be taken around
• भ्रामयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: cause to roam)

• राष्ट्रे: in the kingdom
• राष्ट्रे: Adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मनः/स्वतः (by oneself)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्वसैन्यवान्: having his own army
• स्वसैन्यवान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वं सैन्यं यस्य सः) + वत्-प्रत्यय (possessive)

• नदद्भिः: with resounding
• नदद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नद् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; (with) sounding

• शंखपटहैः: with conches and drums
• शंखपटहैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + पटह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (शंखाश्च पटहाश्च)

• पठद्भिः: with reciting/chanting
• पठद्भिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• बटुचारणैः: with boys and bards
• बटुचारणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक) + चारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (बटवश्च चारणाश्च)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Yogeśī-utsava)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly adorned chariot bearing Yogeśī moves through towns; the king rides/waswo walks in front with soldiers; conches and paṭahas blare; young brahmacārins chant and bards sing praises as banners stream overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Yogeśī
• Rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Royal duty includes public protection through public piety—leadership is shown by honoring the Goddess and upholding sacred order in the realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Māhātmya presents festival-processions as acts of great merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A kingdom-wide Devī procession led by the king, with musical instruments and recitations by baṭus and cāraṇas.