Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स शक्तः सागरं पातुं मित्रावरुणसंभवः । प्रसाद्यश्च स युष्माभिः समुद्रं पिब सत्तम

Transliteration

sa śaktaḥ sāgaraṃ pātuṃ mitrāvaruṇasaṃbhavaḥ | prasādyaśca sa yuṣmābhiḥ samudraṃ piba sattama

Translation

Er – geboren von Mitra und Varuna – ist fähig, den Ozean auszutrinken. Gewinnt seine Gunst, und dieser Beste der Männer wird das Meer trinken.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शक्तः: capable
• शक्तः: Karta-anuguṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शक् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle) अर्थे ‘able/capable’

• सागरम्: ocean
• सागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पातुम्: to drink
• पातुम्: Kriyā-artha (Purpose/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थे ‘to drink/protect’—अत्र ‘to drink’

• मित्रावरुणसंभवः: the one born of Mitra and Varuṇa (Agastya)
• मित्रावरुणसंभवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मित्रावरुणयोः सम्भवः = born of Mitra and Varuṇa)

• प्रसाद्य: having propitiated
• प्रसाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सद्/√साद् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र (प्रसाद्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having pleased/propitiated’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• युष्माभिः: by you (all)
• युष्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समुद्रम्: the sea
• समुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिब: drink
• पिब: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सत्तम: O best one
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे ‘best of the good’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; counsel about approaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (samudra-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya, radiant with ascetic power, stands at the shore; devas with folded hands propitiate him. The ocean is poised to be ‘drunk’—waves drawn inward toward the sage’s mouth/gesture, symbolizing elemental submission.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Mitra
• Varuṇa
• Ocean (Samudra/Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine and cosmic problems are resolved through the grace of realized sages; humility and propitiation precede great acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action is situated within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra narrative, where Agastya is approached as refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

‘Prasādya’ implies propitiation—respectful supplication and acts that please the sage—though no single ritual is specified.