Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तामभाषत कल्याणीं सा चास्य न शृणोति वै । ततः सुकन्या वल्मीके दृष्ट्वा भार्गवचक्षुषी

Transliteration

tāmabhāṣata kalyāṇīṃ sā cāsya na śṛṇoti vai | tataḥ sukanyā valmīke dṛṣṭvā bhārgavacakṣuṣī

Translation

তিনি সেই কল্যাণী শুভ কন্যাকে বলিলেন, কিন্তু সে তাহার কথা শুনিল না। তখন সুকন্যা উইপোকার ঢিবির মধ্যে ভাৰ্গব মুনির চক্ষু দেখিয়া তাহা লক্ষ্য করিল।

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अभाषत: spoke to
• अभाषत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+√भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• कल्याणीम्: auspicious; fair (woman)
• कल्याणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• अस्य: of him; his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• शृणोति: hears
• शृणोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• ततः: then; thereupon
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence (Thereupon/ततः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादान/क्रमसूचक-अर्थे (thereupon/from that)

• सुकन्या: Sukanyā
• सुकन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (सु-कन्या)

• वल्मीके: in the anthill
• वल्मीके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive)

• भार्गव-चक्षुषी: Bhārgava’s two eyes
• भार्गव-चक्षुषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), द्विवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (भार्गवस्य चक्षुषी)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forested edge of Prabhāsa: an ant-hill (valmīka) with two luminous eyes visible within; Sukanyā, a royal maiden, pauses mid-step, half-curious, half-wary, while attendants linger behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sukanyā
• Bhārgava (Cyavana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Failure to recognize spiritual authority (a sage hidden in austerity) can lead to unintended wrongdoing and karmic repercussions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the episode unfolds as part of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it sets up the impending offense (aparādha) and its consequence.