Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्य पित्रा स दृष्टस्तु सामुद्रज्ञो विदुत्तमः । हास्यस्य कारणं पृष्टो विस्मयान्वितचेतसा

Transliteration

tasya pitrā sa dṛṣṭastu sāmudrajño viduttamaḥ | hāsyasya kāraṇaṃ pṛṣṭo vismayānvitacetasā

Translation

The boy’s father then saw that excellent knower, skilled in reading signs; and, his mind filled with wonder, asked him the reason for his smile.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पित्रा: by the father
• पित्रा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थे—‘seen’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• सामुद्रज्ञः: the sea-knower (physiognomist)
• सामुद्रज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामुद्र + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक); सामुद्र (समुद्र-सम्बन्धी) + ज्ञ (जानकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव)

• विदुत्तमः: the best scholar
• विदुत्तमः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (उत्तम-तुल्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विद्वत्’ शब्दस्य उत्तम-प्रत्ययान्त रूप (superlative sense)

• हास्यस्य: of the laughter
• हास्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पृष्टः: (he was) asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘asked’

• विस्मयान्वितचेतसा: by one whose mind was filled with wonder
• विस्मयान्वितचेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + अन्वित + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक); विस्मयेन अन्वितं चेतः यस्य (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास, साधारणतः ‘विस्मयान्वितचेतस्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father notices the eminent sign-reader (sāmudrajña) smiling; with hands folded and eyes widened in wonder, he asks the reason, while the child remains nearby.

Characters & Entities

• sāmudrajña (reader of marks)
• jñānī
• father
• boy

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wonder leads to inquiry; dharmic life values asking the wise to understand the hidden causes behind events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where sages, knowers, and pilgrims encounter teachings on karma and fate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a question that will prompt dharmic action later.