Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

मदयंत्युवाच । सन्देहोऽद्यापि मे विप्र कुण्डले द्विजसत्तम । अभिज्ञानं त्वमानीय नृपस्य द्विज दर्शय

Transliteration

madayaṃtyuvāca | sandeho'dyāpi me vipra kuṇḍale dvijasattama | abhijñānaṃ tvamānīya nṛpasya dvija darśaya

Translation

Madayantī sprach: „O Brahmane, Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, noch hege ich Zweifel wegen der Ohrringe. Bring ein Erkennungszeichen und zeige es — als Beweis vom König.“

Word by Word

• मदयन्ती: Madayantī
• मदयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अद्यापि: even now/still
• अद्यापि: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्यापि (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘even today/still’)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कुण्डले: about the earrings / regarding the pair of earrings
• कुण्डले: Adhikarana (Topic/Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), द्विवचन

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of brāhmaṇas
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अभिज्ञानम्: token of recognition
• अभिज्ञानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय (Gerund/Absolutive in -ya), अव्ययभाव; ‘having brought’

• नृपस्य: of the king
• नृपस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज: O brāhmaṇa
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• दर्शय: show (me)
• दर्शय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘make (me) see/show’)

Speaker

Madayantī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Queen Madayantī, composed yet firm, addresses the brāhmaṇa: she requests an abhijñāna (token) from the king as proof before handing over the earrings.

Characters & Entities

• Madayantī
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Saudāsa (king)
• Kuṇḍala
• Abhijñāna (token)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment: gifts and responsibilities should be transferred with proper verification, avoiding harm through negligence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes pramāṇa (proof) and careful conduct.