Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

विशाख उवाच । गृह्यतां द्विजशार्दूलाः प्रसन्ना गुरुदक्षिणाम् । येनाहमनृणो भूत्वा करोमि सुमहत्तपः

Transliteration

viśākha uvāca | gṛhyatāṃ dvijaśārdūlāḥ prasannā gurudakṣiṇām | yenāhamanṛṇo bhūtvā karomi sumahattapaḥ

Translation

Viśākha sprach: „O Tiger unter den Zweimalgeborenen, nehmt wohlgefällig diese guru-dakṣiṇā, die Gabe an den Lehrer, an, damit ich schuldfrei werde und dann große Askese (tapas) vollbringe.“

Word by Word

• विशाखः: Viśākha
• विशाखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• गृह्यताम्: let (it) be accepted / please accept
• गृह्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे आज्ञार्थः (let it be accepted)

• द्विजशार्दूलाः: O tigers among the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजशार्दूलाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां शार्दूलाः)

• प्रसन्नाः: pleased
• प्रसन्नाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying द्विजशार्दूलाः)

• गुरुदक्षिणाम्: the teacher’s fee (guru-gift)
• गुरुदक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः दक्षिणा)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थे (by which/whereby)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनृणः: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying अहम्)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• करोमि: I do / I perform
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Viśākha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śārdūlāḥ (the sages/brāhmaṇa teachers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśākha, with folded hands, addresses a circle of venerable brāhmaṇa-sages, offering guru-dakṣiṇā and expressing his wish to be free of obligation before undertaking great tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Viśākha
• Ṛṣis (implied recipients)
• Guru-dakṣiṇā
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with gratitude: one should honor one’s teachers and settle obligations before pursuing higher austerities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative; this verse focuses on dharmic conduct (guru-dakṣiṇā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering guru-dakṣiṇā—respectful recompense to spiritual teachers—is emphasized as a prerequisite to major tapas.