Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

व्रतव्याजेन राजेन्द्र न तु गौरी व्यजानत । कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य नारदो भगवान्मुनिः । कैवल्यज्ञानसंपन्नस्तत्रायातः परिभ्रमन्

Transliteration

vratavyājena rājendra na tu gaurī vyajānata | kasyacittvatha kālasya nārado bhagavānmuniḥ | kaivalyajñānasaṃpannastatrāyātaḥ paribhraman

Translation

O best of kings, by this pretext of a vow (vrata), Gaurī did not recognize what was truly occurring. After some time, the revered sage Nārada—endowed with the knowledge that leads to kaivalya (liberation)—arrived there while wandering about.

Word by Word

• व्रत-व्याजेन: by the pretext of a vow
• व्रत-व्याजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य व्याजः) — Instrumental singular (by/with the pretext of a vow)

• राजेन्द्र: O king (of kings)
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular (O king of kings)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• गौरी: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• व्यजानत: knew/recognized
• व्यजानत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः वि- — Imperfect 3rd sg (she knew/recognized)

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (of some) — Genitive singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of time)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भगवान्: venerable/divine
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (honorific adjective)

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कैवल्य-ज्ञान-संपन्नः: endowed with liberating knowledge
• कैवल्य-ज्ञान-संपन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैवल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (कृदन्त; सम्+पद् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कैवल्यस्य ज्ञानं तेन संपन्नः) — Nominative singular (endowed with knowledge of liberation)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• आयातः: having come/arrived
• आयातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) ; आयात (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle used predicatively (having come)

• परिभ्रमन्: wandering about
• परिभ्रमन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग) ; परिभ्रमन् (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present participle (wandering)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator addressing a king (listener implied by 'rājendra')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Gaṅgā-sannidhi tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī remains unaware of Śiva’s true intent behind the vow; time passes; Nārada, radiant and ascetic, arrives with vīṇā, embodying liberation-knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Nārada
• Śiva (implied via context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often show how divine play can be veiled; liberating insight (kaivalya-jñāna) is represented by sages like Nārada who reveal hidden meanings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region is the narrative frame; its sanctity is heightened by the arrival of Nārada and the presence of Śiva-related observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata is referenced as the outward form of Śiva’s observance, though used here as a narrative device (vyāja).