Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मृकंडोपि सुतं ज्ञात्वा ततः क्षीणायुषं नृप । पंचवार्षिकमप्यार्त्तश्चकारोपनयान्वितम्

Transliteration

mṛkaṃḍopi sutaṃ jñātvā tataḥ kṣīṇāyuṣaṃ nṛpa | paṃcavārṣikamapyārttaścakāropanayānvitam

Translation

O König, auch Mṛkaṇḍa, als er erkannte, dass sein Sohn damals nur eine kurze Lebensspanne hatte, vollzog in Sorge die Initiation (Upanayana), obwohl der Knabe erst fünf Jahre alt war.

Word by Word

• मृकण्डः: Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्डः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also)

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Anukrama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थ (then/thereupon)

• क्षीणायुषम्: short-lived, with diminished lifespan
• क्षीणायुषम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of सुतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षीणम् आयुः यस्य)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचन

• पञ्चवार्षिकम्: five-year-old
• पञ्चवार्षिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of सुतम्, understood)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; द्विगु (पञ्चवर्षाणि यस्य = five-year-old)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• आर्तः: distressed
• आर्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of मृकण्डः)

• चकार: performed, caused to be done
• चकार: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• उपनयान्वितम्: endowed with the upanayana (initiation)
• उपनयान्वितम्: Karma (Object complement; qualifying the boy)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपनयन + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/सह-भाव (उपनयनेन अन्वितम् = endowed with upanayana)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mṛkaṇḍa, distressed by knowledge of his son’s short lifespan, performs the upanayana for the five-year-old, investing him with the sacred thread and brahmacarya discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Mṛkaṇḍa
• the King (listener)
• Mṛkaṇḍa’s son (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When life is uncertain, one should prioritize dharma—especially the foundational saṁskāras that orient the mind toward the sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on household dharma within the Arbuda narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upanayana (sacred-thread initiation) is explicitly mentioned, performed early due to the child’s short lifespan.