Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

असंभाव्यं न वक्तव्यं मनसापि न चिन्तयेत् । ईदृशीं नैव बुध्यामि आपदं च विभो तव

Transliteration

asaṃbhāvyaṃ na vaktavyaṃ manasāpi na cintayet | īdṛśīṃ naiva budhyāmi āpadaṃ ca vibho tava

Translation

„Vom Unmöglichen soll man nicht sprechen, ja nicht einmal im Geist daran denken. O Erhabener, ich vermag nicht zu begreifen, dass ein solches Unheil Dich treffen könnte.“

Word by Word

• असंभाव्यम्: impossible, inconceivable
• असंभाव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + सम्भाव्य (सम्भू धातु से; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्तव्यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (impossible/unthinkable)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• वक्तव्यम्: to be said
• वक्तव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be spoken')

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• चिन्तयेत्: should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईदृशीम्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृशीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• बुध्यामि: I understand/know
• बुध्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• आपदम्: calamity
• आपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing his reply)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, hands raised in respectful protest, declares that one should not even think of an impossible calamity befalling the Lord; the deity listens with composed, transcendent calm.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vibhu (addressed Lord; contextually Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion views the Supreme as beyond harm; faith resists imagining defeat or disgrace for the Divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional-philosophical assertion within dialogue.