Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कुण्डलेऽथानय क्षिप्रं मदयंत्याश्च पुत्रक । नो चेच्छापं प्रदास्यामि पञ्चमेऽह्नि न आगतः

Transliteration

kuṇḍale'thānaya kṣipraṃ madayaṃtyāśca putraka | no cecchāpaṃ pradāsyāmi pañcame'hni na āgataḥ

Translation

„Mein Sohn, bringe rasch das Paar Ohrringe von Madayantī. Tust du es nicht und bist du bis zum fünften Tage nicht zurück, so werde ich dich mit einem Fluch belegen.“

Word by Word

• कुण्डले: the two earrings
• कुण्डले: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (particle: then/now)

• आनय: bring
• आनय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त (आ + नी)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मदयन्त्याः: of Madayantī
• मदयन्त्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• पुत्रक: dear boy
• पुत्रक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; स्नेहसूचक (diminutive)

• नः: not
• नः: Negation (Nishedha/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition marker (Hetu/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle: if)

• शापम्: a curse
• शापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रदास्यामि: I will give/inflict
• प्रदास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त (प्र + दा)

• पञ्चमे: on the fifth
• पञ्चमे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अह्नि)

• अह्नि: day
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (Nishedha/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• आगतः: (he) has come/arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आगतः’ = ‘has come’

Speaker

Gurupatnī (Gautama’s wife)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The guru’s wife specifies the object—Madayantī’s pair of earrings—and sets a strict five-day limit, her expression stern yet purposeful; Uttaṅka appears resolute, aware of the looming curse.

Characters & Entities

• Gurupatnī
• Madayantī
• Kuṇḍala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual duty demands timeliness and resolve; negligence in a vowed task brings consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is narrative and mission-oriented within Arbuda-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific guru-dakṣiṇā item is prescribed: obtaining and bringing a pair of earrings within a set time.