Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

पित्तं प्रपतितं तत्र तच्च रक्तमयं बभौ । तद्दृष्ट्वाऽतीव हृष्टः स मंकणर्षिर्बभूव ह

Transliteration

pittaṃ prapatitaṃ tatra tacca raktamayaṃ babhau | taddṛṣṭvā'tīva hṛṣṭaḥ sa maṃkaṇarṣirbabhūva ha

Translation

Dort fiel Galle herab, und sie erschien, als bestünde sie aus Blut; als er dies sah, wurde der Weise Maṅkaṇa überaus erfreut.

Word by Word

• पित्तम्: bile
• पित्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• प्रपतितम्: fallen
• प्रपतितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पत् (धातु) + पतित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘fallen down’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.: that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• रक्तमयम्: blood-like, full of blood
• रक्तमयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त-मय (प्रातिपदिक; रक्त + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘रक्तेन मयम्’ (made of blood)

• बभौ: appeared, became
• बभौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (shone/appeared/became)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.: that)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having seen

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अतिशयवाचक (very, exceedingly)

• हृष्टः: delighted
• हृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √हृष् धातु-जन्य कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (delighted)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.: he)

• मंकणर्षिः: the sage Maṅkaṇaka
• मंकणर्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंकण-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक; मंकणक + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—‘मंकणकः ऋषिः’ (the sage Maṅkaṇaka)

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (became/was)

• ह: indeed (particle)
• ह: Prayojaka-nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (expletive particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages / king addressed within the embedded narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic notices a fallen drop of bile appearing blood-like on the ground; his face brightens with mistaken triumph; attendants/forest creatures look on in quiet surprise.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇa Ṛṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ascetics can misread bodily phenomena as spiritual attainment; the narrative prepares a lesson on discernment and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the Sarasvatī riverbank within the Arbuda sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative turning point in the ṛṣi’s inner test.