Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

अथ सारस्वतो ज्ञानाज्ज्ञातवान्कारणं च तत् । आनयन्तु द्विजा वेगात्कलशं तोयसंभृतम्

Transliteration

atha sārasvato jñānājjñātavānkāraṇaṃ ca tat | ānayantu dvijā vegātkalaśaṃ toyasaṃbhṛtam

Translation

Dann erkannte der Brahmane durch die von Sarasvatī geborene Einsicht die Ursache. Er sprach: „O Zweimalgeborene, bringt schnell einen mit Wasser gefüllten Kalaśa!“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (conjunctive adverb)

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (a sage)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; व्यक्तिवाचक (proper name/epithet)

• ज्ञानात्: from knowledge / due to knowledge
• ज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचनम् (ablative singular, neuter)

• ज्ञातवान्: knew
• ज्ञातवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्तवतुँ (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम्, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; कर्तरि ‘having known’

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (accusative singular, neuter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (accusative singular, neuter)

• आनयन्तु: let them bring
• आनयन्तु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person plural imperative)

• द्विजाः: brāhmaṇas / twice-born
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (nominative plural, masculine)

• वेगात्: swiftly
• वेगात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी एकवचनार्थे (ablatival adverb) ‘quickly/in haste’

• कलशम्: a pot
• कलशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम् (accusative singular, masculine)

• तोयसंभृतम्: filled with water
• तोयसंभृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय + सम् + भृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (तोयेन संभृतम्) (agreeing with कलशम् understood as ‘water-filled’)

Speaker

Narrator (reporting the brāhmaṇa’s instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed brāhmaṇa, eyes bright with insight, announces the cause and commands attendants to bring a water-filled kalasha swiftly; the scene shifts from distress to purposeful ritual action.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True learning (sārasvata-jñāna) expresses itself as timely, compassionate ritual guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, presented as a setting where sacred rites restore wellbeing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bringing a water-filled kalaśa, a key implement for purification and abhiṣeka-related rites.