Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

देवादीनां यथा वाच्यो न भवेयं तथा कुरु । पठ्यमानं मया पुत्रि धर्मशास्त्रेषु च श्रुतम्

Transliteration

devādīnāṃ yathā vācyo na bhaveyaṃ tathā kuru | paṭhyamānaṃ mayā putri dharmaśāstreṣu ca śrutam

Translation

«Handle so, dass ich vor den Göttern und den anderen nicht zum Gegenstand des Tadels werde. Tochter, dies habe ich in den Dharma-Śāstras gelesen und auch gehört.»

Word by Word

• देवादीनाम्: of the gods and others
• देवादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘देव-आदि’ इति समाहारार्थ-तत्पुरुष (देवाः आदयः येषाम्)

• यथा: as, so that
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, in such a way that)

• वाच्यः: to be spoken of / to be called
• वाच्यः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तव्यत्/यत्-अर्थे क्तव्य-भाव (gerundive) ‘to be spoken/called’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• भवेयम्: I might become / I should be
• भवेयम्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तम-पुरुषः (1st), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक (thus, in that manner)

• कुरु: do (it)
• कुरु: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पठ्यमानम्: being read
• पठ्यमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मणि वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present passive participle) ‘being read’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• धर्मशास्त्रेषु: in the Dharma-śāstras
• धर्मशास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मशास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य शास्त्रम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘heard’

Speaker

King (father of the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king admonishes his daughter to act so he will not be reproached before gods and people, citing what he has read and heard in dharma texts.

Characters & Entities

• Gods (Devas)
• Dharmaśāstras
• King
• Daughter (Sāvitrī/Padmā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by aligning personal decisions with śāstric guidance and accountable public conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, where sacred place and sacred law reinforce each other.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes śāstra-guided action, especially regarding family and marriage duty.