Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शृणु तत्राभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महामते । ऋषिर्मंकणकोनाम सरस्वत्यास्तटे स्थितः

Transliteration

śṛṇu tatrābhavatpūrvaṃ yadāścaryaṃ mahāmate | ṛṣirmaṃkaṇakonāma sarasvatyāstaṭe sthitaḥ

Translation

Hear, O great-minded one, a wonder that occurred there long ago: a ṛṣi named Maṅkaṇa was dwelling on the bank of the Sarasvatī.

Word by Word

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (hear!)

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

• अभवत्: happened, occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (it happened/was)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (formerly, earlier)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun: that which)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-मति (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• ऋषिः: a sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• मंकणकः: Maṅkaṇaka
• मंकणकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंकणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (proper name)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक निपात (particle: ‘by name’)

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (masc. loc. sg.)

• स्थितः: standing, situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे विशेषणवत् (standing)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī-taṭa at Arbuda (Maṅkaṇa-ṛṣi āśrama locus)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A great-minded interlocutor (mahāmate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the serene bank of Sarasvatī, ṛṣi Maṅkaṇa sits in austere dwelling (kuṭīra), surrounded by deer and disciples; the narrator invites the listener to hear the forthcoming marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇa Ṛṣi
• Sarasvatī River

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māhātmya teachings often unfold through exemplary stories—wonders near sacred rivers instruct seekers about dharma and inner states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī riverbank within the Arbuda region, presented as a setting for a sacred marvel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a narrative episode (ākhyāna) to convey the site’s sanctity.