Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

विचक्षण द्रुतं गत्वा मदर्थे तां तपस्विनीम् । सामभेदप्रदानेन दंडेनापि समानय

Transliteration

vicakṣaṇa drutaṃ gatvā madarthe tāṃ tapasvinīm | sāmabhedapradānena daṃḍenāpi samānaya

Translation

„Vicakṣaṇa, geh eilends hin und bring mir jene Asketin — durch Beschwichtigung, durch Zwietracht, durch Geschenke und, wenn es sein muss, auch durch Gewalt.“

Word by Word

• विचक्षण: O discerning one
• विचक्षण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बोधन (vocative address)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• मदर्थे: for my sake/purpose
• मदर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्-अर्थः = my purpose)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपस्विनीम्: the ascetic woman
• तपस्विनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन

• सामभेदप्रदानेन: by offering conciliation and dissension
• सामभेदप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम + भेद + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुषः (साम-भेद-प्रदान = giving conciliation and division)

• दण्डेन: by punishment/force
• दण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि = also/even

• समानय: bring (her)
• समानय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mahiṣa (in Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vicakṣaṇa (messenger)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A demon king issuing a harsh directive to his envoy: use persuasion, sow discord, offer gifts, or force—depicting escalating coercion.

Characters & Entities

• Mahiṣa
• Vicakṣaṇa
• Tapasvinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma often escalates from persuasion to coercion; the Purāṇas portray such intent as morally corrupt and spiritually ruinous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds in the Arbuda sacred region (Arbuda Parvata) described in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses political/strategic categories (sāma, bheda, dāna, daṇḍa) as narrative devices, not ritual instructions.