Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अथ तत्रापरे प्रोचुर्देवो वदति नानृतम् । कथमेषां दधौ गर्भं शीलान्न चलिता ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

atha tatrāpare procurdevo vadati nānṛtam | kathameṣāṃ dadhau garbhaṃ śīlānna calitā dhruvam

Translation

Then others there said, “The deity does not speak falsehood. Yet how did she conceive a pregnancy? Surely she has not deviated from good conduct.”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana (Discourse marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक-निपात) — then/now

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — there

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘others’

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: वच् (to speak) उपसर्ग: प्र

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वदति: speaks/says
• वदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: वद् (to speak)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — not

• अनृतम्: untruth
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘falsehood/untruth’

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — how?

• एषाम्: of these (people)
• एषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक (सर्वनाम), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• दधौ: she bore/held
• दधौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: धा (to place/hold)

• गर्भम्: a fetus/pregnancy
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• शीलात्: from virtue/conduct
• शीलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘from conduct/virtue’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — not

• चलिता: deviated/moved
• चलिता: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल् (धातु) → चलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (सा/स्त्री) — ‘not deviated’ (न चलिता)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक) — certainly/indeed

Speaker

Narrator reporting the speech of onlookers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of townsfolk/kinsmen debate: some point upward invoking the deity’s truth, others gesture in puzzled inquiry; the young girl stands modestly, calm amid questioning faces.

Characters & Entities

• deva (deity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine speech is upheld as true, and dharma (śīla) is defended even when events appear extraordinary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a discussion about truth, virtue, and an unexplained conception.