Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 173

Devanagari script

प्रथिता प्रविभक्ता च शोभिता च वसुन्धरा । दुग्धा हि यत्नतो राज्ञा पत्तनाकरमालिनी

Transliteration

prathitā pravibhaktā ca śobhitā ca vasundharā | dugdhā hi yatnato rājñā pattanākaramālinī

Translation

یوں وسندھرا مشہور ہوئی، خوب تقسیم کی گئی اور آراستہ ہوئی۔ بادشاہ نے بڑی کوشش سے اسے دوہا—وہ زمین جو شہروں اور کانوں کی مالا سے سجی ہے۔

Word by Word

• prathitā: renowned; spread
• prathitā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √prath (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वसुन्धरा) = 'made famous/spread'

• pravibhaktā: well apportioned
• pravibhaktā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√vibhaj (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण = 'well-divided/partitioned'

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

• śobhitā: beautified
• śobhitā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śubh (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण = 'adorned/beautified'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• vasundharā: the Earth
• vasundharā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasundharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = 'the Earth'

• dugdhā: milked
• dugdhā: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √duh (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण = 'milked'

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/indeed)

• yatnataḥ: with effort
• yatnataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्राय/तद्धितान्त अव्यय (तसिल्) = 'with effort, carefully'

• rājñā: by the king
• rājñā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन = 'by the king'

• pattanākaramālinī: adorned with towns and mines
• pattanākaramālinī: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pattana + ākara + mālinī (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pattana-ākara-mālinī) = 'having a garland/series of towns and mines' (वसुन्धरा-विशेषण)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as prosperous, ordered sacred landscape)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic ‘garlanded Earth’: Bhūdevī-cow or goddess with a necklace made of miniature cities, forts, and mine entrances; King Pṛthu carefully milks her into vessels while artisans and farmers flourish in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vasundharā (Earth)
• Pṛthu (implied king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity arises when leadership organizes, protects, and beautifies the land through disciplined effort aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra-context is Prabhāsa; the verse emphasizes the sanctified ideal of a well-ordered earth that supports dharmic life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.