Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अद्य त्वं हर्षसंयुक्तो दृश्यसे केन हेतुना । कथयस्व महाकाय हर्षस्यैव हि कारणम्

Transliteration

adya tvaṃ harṣasaṃyukto dṛśyase kena hetunā | kathayasva mahākāya harṣasyaiva hi kāraṇam

Translation

«Aujourd’hui tu parais empli de joie : pour quelle raison ? Dis-moi, ô Puissant, la cause même de ce bonheur».

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हर्ष-संयुक्तः: joined with joy; joyful
• हर्ष-संयुक्तः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हर्षेण संयुक्तः)

• दृश्यसे: are seen/appear
• दृश्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• केन: by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• हेतुना: by reason/cause
• हेतुना: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाकाय: O great-bodied one
• महाकाय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् कायः यस्य/महाकाय)

• हर्षस्य: of joy
• हर्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle: for/indeed)

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

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada observes Dharmarāja’s joyful radiance; Dharmarāja’s posture opens, hands relaxed, aura bright; Nārada requests the cause.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yama
• Dharmarāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere questioning invites revelation; dharma is transmitted through respectful dialogue and attentive listening.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as a lead-in to an explanatory account connected to Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for the underlying cause (kāraṇa) of Yama’s joy.