Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

मयाऽनीता शुभा माला लब्धश्चांतं चतुर्भुज । त्वया लब्धो न चासत्यं वद मे पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

mayā'nītā śubhā mālā labdhaścāṃtaṃ caturbhuja | tvayā labdho na cāsatyaṃ vada me puruṣottama

Translation

(Brahmā sprach:) „Ich habe diese glückverheißende Blumengirlande gebracht und das Ende gefunden, o Vierarmiger. Du hast es nicht gefunden — so sage mir die Wahrheit, o Puruṣottama.“

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ānītā: brought
• ānītā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘आनीता’ (brought)

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mālā: garland
• mālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• labdhaḥ: obtained
• labdhaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘लब्धः’ (obtained)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• antam: the end/limit
• antam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• caturbhuja: O four-armed one
• caturbhuja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य (O four-armed one)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• labdhaḥ: obtained
• labdhaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘लब्धः’ (obtained)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — not

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• asatyam: falsehood
• asatyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘असत्य’ (falsehood)

• vada: tell
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘वद’ (say/tell)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन (enclitic)

• puruṣottama: O Puruṣottama
• puruṣottama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—पुरुषेषु उत्तमः (O best of men)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā confronts Viṣṇu, holding an auspicious garland, claiming he found the end; he challenges Viṣṇu to speak truth—moral drama under the shadow of the infinite liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Caturbhuja, Puruṣottama)
• Śiva (as the Liṅga)
• Ketakī flower/garland

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands truth, yet the narrative highlights how pride can still frame a conversation around ‘victory’ rather than reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly in this verse; it continues the liṅga-mahātmyā discourse within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.