Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तस्मान्निवर्तनं युक्तं मम वाक्येन ते विभो । दर्शयित्वा च मां विष्णोर्ज्येष्ठत्वं व्रज सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

tasmānnivartanaṃ yuktaṃ mama vākyena te vibho | darśayitvā ca māṃ viṣṇorjyeṣṭhatvaṃ vraja sāṃpratam

Translation

Therefore, O mighty one, it is proper for you to turn back, following my word. Take me with you as evidence and go now to establish your seniority over Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/source: ‘therefore/from that’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• निवर्तनम्: returning/turning back
• निवर्तनम्: Karta (Subject of ‘yuktam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: ल्युट्-प्रत्यय (verbal noun/action noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘turning back/return’

• युक्तम्: is proper
• युक्तम्: Pradhāna-nāmapada (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle used adjectivally), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘proper/fitting’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वाक्येन: by (my) statement
• वाक्येन: Karaṇa (Means: ‘by my word/advice’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic)

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• दर्शयित्वा: having shown
• दर्शयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: णिच् (causative) + क्त्वान्त (absolutive): दर्शयित्वा ‘having shown’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object of ‘darśayitvā’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठत्वम्: seniority/supremacy
• ज्येष्ठत्वम्: Karma (Object/goal to be attained)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रज: go/attain
• व्रज: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• साम्प्रतम्: now/at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Ketakī flower

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The flower/witness urges Brahmā to turn back, offering itself as ‘evidence’ to prove seniority over Viṣṇu; tension of rivalry under the shadow of the infinite pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Ketakī flower
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The episode foreshadows the danger of adharma—seeking superiority through ‘proof’ that can become false witness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is part of a liṅga-mahātmyā teaching narrative within Arbuda-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.