Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

इति पुत्रवचः श्रुत्वा सर्वत्राग्निं गवेषयन् । अलब्धवह्निः प्रोवाच पुन रभ्येत्य पुत्रकम्

Transliteration

iti putravacaḥ śrutvā sarvatrāgniṃ gaveṣayan | alabdhavahniḥ provāca puna rabhyetya putrakam

Translation

Als der Vater die Worte seines Sohnes vernommen hatte, suchte er überall nach Feuer. Doch da er kein Feuer fand, kehrte er wieder zurück und sprach zum Knaben.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (quotative/iti-marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle/‘thus’)

• putra-vacaḥ: the son's words
• putra-vacaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पुत्रस्य वचः’)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• agniṃ: fire
• agniṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• gaveṣayan: searching
• gaveṣayan: Karta (Subject, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gaveṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गवेषयन्’ = searching

• alabdha-vahniḥ: one who had not obtained fire
• alabdha-vahniḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + labdha (कृदन्त, √labh) + vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘यस्य वह्निः न लब्धः सः’)

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• abhyetya: having approached
• abhyetya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + i (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘अभ्येत्य’ = having approached/come near

• putrakam: the son (dear boy)
• putrakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual prose narration within Setukhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worried father moves through dark lanes searching for embers or a lamp-flame, then returns to a sick child lying indoors.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with compassionate effort—one should sincerely strive to relieve another’s suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāmeśvaram sacred region), though this verse itself is narrative and does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction is stated in this verse.