Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

विनष्टेषु च कार्येषु तस्य वाच्यं शुभाशुभम् । स एव प्रथमं गच्छेत्पृथिव्यां स्वार्थसिद्धये

Transliteration

vinaṣṭeṣu ca kāryeṣu tasya vācyaṃ śubhāśubham | sa eva prathamaṃ gacchetpṛthivyāṃ svārthasiddhaye

Translation

Wenn Vorhaben zugrunde gehen, soll man ihm das Günstige und das Ungünstige kundtun. Und er selbst soll als Erster zur Erde aufbrechen, damit sein Zweck erfüllt werde.

Word by Word

• विनष्टेषु: when (the) tasks are ruined/failed
• विनष्टेषु: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (Locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् कार्येषु प्रति

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

• कार्येषु: in affairs
• कार्येषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• वाच्यम्: should be said
• वाच्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be said)

• शुभाशुभम्: good and bad (outcomes)
• शुभाशुभम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (शुभं च अशुभं च) वाच्यम् इत्यस्य कर्म

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Restriction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• स्वार्थसिद्धये: for accomplishing his own aim
• स्वार्थसिद्धये: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अर्थ + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य अर्थस्य सिद्धिः) प्रयोजन-द्योतकः

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas or emissaries presenting a candid report of auspicious and inauspicious signs to Upendra; Upendra poised to be the first to descend to earth.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires truthful discernment—speaking what is auspicious/inauspicious—and personal initiative in righteous action when obstacles arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the glory of Vastrāpathakṣetra within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on counsel and action rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes proper counsel (vācyaṃ śubhāśubham) and timely action.