Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गमिष्यति कुमारोऽयं निधनं पंचमे दिने । तन्न युक्तं हि नो वाक्यमसत्यं द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

gamiṣyati kumāro'yaṃ nidhanaṃ paṃcame dine | tanna yuktaṃ hi no vākyamasatyaṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

«Este muchacho hallará la muerte en el quinto día. Eso haría falsas nuestras palabras—cosa impropia, oh los mejores entre los nacidos dos veces».

Word by Word

• गमिष्यति: will go/meet (death)
• गमिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुमारः: the boy/prince
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पञ्चमे: on the fifth
• पञ्चमे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिने)

• दिने: day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यांश-प्रत्यय (that/this matter)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• युक्तम्: proper/consistent
• युक्तम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—उचितम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) बहुवचन/द्विवचन-प्रयोगः; अर्थः—अस्माकम् (of us)

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असत्यम्: false
• असत्यम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• द्विज-सत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Unnamed Ṛṣis (contextually the Saptarṣis) addressing Brahmā / each other

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣa ṛṣis / internal addressee 'O king' in the episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grave declaration: the boy is destined to die on the fifth day; sages and patron react with moral alarm that their words may become false.

Characters & Entities

• kumāra (the child)
• dvija (brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth (satya) is upheld as a core dharma; even sages seek remedies so their words never become false.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Arbuda-khaṇḍa (Mount Arbuda’s sacred sphere), though this verse itself focuses on satya-dharma rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes ethical urgency (avoiding falsehood) and the need for a divine resolution.