Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

ध्वजमारोपयेद्यस्तु प्रासादोपरि भक्तितः । तस्य ब्रह्मपदे वासः क्रीडते ब्रह्मणा सह

Transliteration

dhvajamāropayedyastu prāsādopari bhaktitaḥ | tasya brahmapade vāsaḥ krīḍate brahmaṇā saha

Translation

جو کوئی عقیدت سے ربّ کے مندر-محل کی چوٹی پر دھجا نصب کرے، اس کا ٹھکانا برہما کے لوک میں ہوتا ہے اور وہ برہما کے ساتھ وہاں کھیلتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ध्वजम्: a flag
• ध्वजम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आरोपयेत्: should hoist/raise
• आरोपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) ‘to cause to be raised/hoist’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/नipāt)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• प्रासादोपरि: on top of the palace
• प्रासादोपरि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रासाद + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (prepositional adverb); ‘उपरि’ सप्तम्यर्थे

• भक्तितः: out of devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; हेतौ/प्रकारे

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मपदे: in Brahma’s realm/state
• ब्रह्मपदे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + पद (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मणः पदम् (स्थानम्)

• वासः: dwelling/residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• क्रीडते: plays/sports
• क्रीडते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, तृतीयपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणा: with Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/सह), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition) सह; सहार्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee hoists a bright flag atop the temple spire; the flag snaps in the sea wind of Dvārakā. The reward is envisioned as entry into Brahmā’s realm, with the devotee joyfully moving among Brahmā’s attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvārakā
• Prāsāda (temple)
• Dhvaja (flag)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to the Lord’s temple—even a simple act like hoisting a flag—yields exalted spiritual merit and divine proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, celebrated in the Dvārakā-māhātmya of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hoisting a dhvaja (flag) on top of the temple/prāsāda as an act of bhakti (temple-sevā).