Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अहो ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य परां भक्तिं प्रपश्यत । स्कन्धे कृत्वा धुरं यो हि वहते भार्य्यया सह

Transliteration

aho brahmaṇyadevasya parāṃ bhaktiṃ prapaśyata | skandhe kṛtvā dhuraṃ yo hi vahate bhāryyayā saha

Translation

啊！请看这位恒常护念婆罗门的主宰之至高奉爱：他与圣妃同在，竟将轭担置于自己肩上而负载前行。

Word by Word

• अहो: ah! behold!
• अहो: Nipata (Exclamation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयार्थक (interjection)

• ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य: of the Brahmaṇya-deva (protector of brāhmaṇas)
• ब्रह्मण्यदेवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मण्यः देवः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग), तस्य

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्तिम्)

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रपश्यत: behold / see
• प्रपश्यत: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पश्य् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्कन्धे: on (his) shoulder
• स्कन्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having placed / having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• धुरम्: the yoke / burden
• धुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुर्/धुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (particle: 'indeed/for')

• वहते: carries
• वहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भार्यया: with (his) wife
• भार्यया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (preposition/adverb: 'with')

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The gods point out Kṛṣṇa’s brahmaṇya nature: He places the yoke on His shoulder, with Rukmiṇī beside Him, both engaged in the labor of drawing the chariot.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaṇyadeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Rukmiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True bhakti expresses itself as humility and service—God Himself honors dharma by serving the worthy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented as a sacred Vaiṣṇava city whose narratives teach dharma through the Lord’s conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the implied dharma is brāhmaṇa-satkāra (reverent honoring of brāhmaṇas/guests).