Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नानाभरणरत्नैश्च ब्राह्मणाः समलंकृताः । चक्रुः सर्वे यथन्यायं शास्त्रं दृष्ट्वा पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

nānābharaṇaratnaiśca brāhmaṇāḥ samalaṃkṛtāḥ | cakruḥ sarve yathanyāyaṃ śāstraṃ dṛṣṭvā punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

婆罗门众以种种饰物与宝珠庄严，凡事皆依正法仪轨而行，并一再参阅诸《沙斯特拉》(śāstra)经典。

Word by Word

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘various’ इत्यर्थे विशेषणवत् अव्ययप्रयोगः

• आभरणरत्नैः: with ornaments and gems
• आभरणरत्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभरण + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (आभरणाणि च रत्नानि च); Instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• समलंकृताः: well adorned
• समलंकृताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अलङ्कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/क्तवतु-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; past passive participle; ‘well-adorned’

• चक्रुः: they performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; brāhmaṇāḥ इति विशेष्यस्य

• यथा-न्यायम्: according to proper rule
• यथा-न्यायम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; ‘न्यायम् अनुसृत्य’—adverbial (according to rule)

• शास्त्रम्: the scripture/manual
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having looked at
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त/gerund); ‘having seen/consulted’

• पुनःपुनः: again and again
• पुनःपुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः + पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-अव्यय (reduplicated adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas, elegantly adorned, sit with palm-leaf manuscripts; they perform rites with measured gestures, repeatedly glancing at śāstra while assistants bring vessels and offerings; the atmosphere is orderly and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is guided by śāstra—reverence becomes dharma when aligned with right method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where scripturally grounded rites are portrayed as especially auspicious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing yajña strictly “yathā-nyāya” (by proper rule), repeatedly verifying procedures in the śāstras.