Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

वीर्यश्रुततपःसत्यैर्मयान्यः कः समो भुवि । मदात्मानो न नूनं मां यूयं जानीथ तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

vīryaśrutatapaḥsatyairmayānyaḥ kaḥ samo bhuvi | madātmāno na nūnaṃ māṃ yūyaṃ jānītha tattvataḥ

Translation

Durch Tapferkeit, Wissen, Askese und Wahrheit — wer auf Erden ist mir gleich? Wahrlich, ihr erkennt mich nicht dem Wesen nach, denn eure Sinne sind nicht mit meinem Geist im Einklang.

Word by Word

• वीर्य-श्रुत-तपः-सत्यैः: by (my) valor, learning, austerity, and truth
• वीर्य-श्रुत-तपः-सत्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रुत (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—समाहार-द्वन्द्व

• मया: by me
• मया: Karaṇa/Agent (by me)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्यः: other
• अन्यः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• समः: equal
• समः: Predicate adjective (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मद्-आत्मानः: those devoted to me / my partisans
• मद्-आत्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मम आत्मानः)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• जानीथ: know
• जानीथ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• तत्त्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘in truth/according to reality’

Speaker

King Vena

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-led ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vena boasts of his valor, learning, austerity, and truth, claiming none equal him; rishis stand as a silent moral mirror—his ‘virtues’ glow outwardly while inner misalignment darkens the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Vena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride that measures oneself as supreme is shown as spiritual blindness, severing one from dharma and wise community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya provides the setting; the verse itself is a cautionary portrait of adharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a psychological-ethical statement revealing the king’s arrogance.