Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अजपाल उवाच । अतीतानागतं विप्र वर्त्तमानं तथैव च । त्वं वेत्सि सकलं ब्रह्मंस्तपश्चर्याप्रभावतः

Transliteration

ajapāla uvāca | atītānāgataṃ vipra varttamānaṃ tathaiva ca | tvaṃ vetsi sakalaṃ brahmaṃstapaścaryāprabhāvataḥ

Translation

Ajapāla sprach: O Brāhmaṇa, du kennst die Vergangenheit, die Zukunft und ebenso die Gegenwart; wahrlich, o Brahman, du weißt alles durch die Kraft deiner Tapas (Askese).

Word by Word

• अजपालः: Ajapāla
• अजपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अतीत: past
• अतीत: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √इ + अतीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अनागतम्: future
• अनागतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनागत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √गम् + अनागत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वर्त्तमानम्: present
• वर्त्तमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्त्तमान (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √वृत्/वर्त् + शतृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वेत्सि: know
• वेत्सि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्रह्मन्: Brahman / the Absolute
• ब्रह्मन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तपश्चर्या: austerity-practice
• तपश्चर्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + चर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative), प्रथमा-एकवचन (as compound stem); here in ablative compound context with प्रभावतः

• प्रभावतः: from the power/effect
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कारणार्थे (expressing cause)

Speaker

Ajapāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ajapāla praises Vasiṣṭha’s tri-temporal knowledge; the sage appears luminous, with ascetic marks and calm gaze, suggesting inner power born of austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Ajapāla
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) is portrayed as a purifier and empowerer of knowledge, making sages fit guides for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this line; it introduces Ajapāla’s request to the sage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; tapas is acknowledged as the spiritual discipline behind the sage’s insight.