Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

वत्स उवाच । न ते पश्यामि सौम्यत्वं दुर्मना इव लक्ष्यमे । किमर्थमन्यवेलायां समायाता वदस्व मे

Transliteration

vatsa uvāca | na te paśyāmi saumyatvaṃ durmanā iva lakṣyame | kimarthamanyavelāyāṃ samāyātā vadasva me

Translation

The calf said: O gentle one, I do not see your usual tenderness; you seem as though your heart is troubled. Why have you come at this unusual time? Tell me.

Word by Word

• vatsaḥ: Vatsa (the calf/son)
• vatsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी—‘ते’ = ‘तव’ (of you)

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saumyatvam: gentleness/pleasantness
• saumyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumyatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• durmanāḥ: sad-minded
• durmanāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durmanas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (sad-minded)

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (like/as if)

• lakṣyase: you appear/are seen
• lakṣyase: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kimartham: for what reason/why
• kimartham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय; तत्पुरुष-समासः (किम् अर्थम्)

• anya-velāyām: at another time
• anya-velāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक) + velā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (अन्या वेला)

• samāyātā: having come/arrived
• samāyātā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√yā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (आगता)

• vadasva: tell/speak
• vadasva: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Vatsa (calf)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokula (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kapilā (within the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The calf speaks with worried eyes, head slightly tilted; Kapilā stands tense, tear-streaked; the scene is intimate, centered on speech and listening.

Characters & Entities

• Vatsa (calf)
• Kapilā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Loving concern seeks truth; honest communication becomes part of dharmic conduct within family bonds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it advances the Arbuda narrative of dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.