Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

क्षिप्ते लेखे शुकेनैव सत्यभामाविसर्जिते । वसुराज्ञा ततो लेखो गृह्य हस्तेऽवधारितः

Transliteration

kṣipte lekhe śukenaiva satyabhāmāvisarjite | vasurājñā tato lekho gṛhya haste'vadhāritaḥ

Translation

Lorsque le perroquet, dépêché par Satyabhāmā, laissa tomber la lettre, le roi Vasu la ramassa et la tint en sa main, la considérant avec soin.

Word by Word

• kṣipte: when (it was) thrown
• kṣipte: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'when/after (it was) thrown'

• lekhe: in/with the letter
• lekhe: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lekha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध: locative absolute with kṣipte)

• śukena: by the parrot
• śukena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• satyabhāmā: Satyabhāmā
• satyabhāmā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satyabhāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (locative-absolute understood with visarjite: 'having been sent by Satyabhāmā')

• visarjite: when (it was) dispatched
• visarjite: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: visṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (locative absolute)

• vasurājñā: by King Vasu
• vasurājñā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasurājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• lekhaḥ: the letter
• lekhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lekha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• gṛhya: having taken
• gṛhya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: ग्रह् (to take)

• haste: in (his) hand
• haste: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• avadhāritaḥ: was held/retained
• avadhāritaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'was held/kept/retained'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parrot drops a sealed letter; King Vasu lifts it with deliberation, holding it in his hand, eyes focused, courtiers watching in suspense.

Characters & Entities

• Satyabhāmā
• śuka (parrot)
• Vasurāja (King Vasu)
• lekha (letter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A ruler should receive counsel attentively—careful consideration of messages is part of rāja-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.