Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

शतानीकस्य राजर्षेः पुत्रभावं गतस्य ते । शुश्रूषां संविधास्यामस्तेषु तेषु च कर्मसु । तानेवंवादिनः सोऽयं विधूमो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

śatānīkasya rājarṣeḥ putrabhāvaṃ gatasya te | śuśrūṣāṃ saṃvidhāsyāmasteṣu teṣu ca karmasu | tānevaṃvādinaḥ so'yaṃ vidhūmo vākyamabravīt

Translation

«Lorsque tu seras entré dans l’état de fils du ṛṣi royal Śatānīka, nous te rendrons service en chaque devoir et en chaque acte.» Ainsi parlaient-ils, et Vidhūma leur répondit.

Word by Word

• śatānīkasya: of Śatānīka
• śatānīkasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatānīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of Śatānīka’

• rājarṣeḥ: of the royal sage
• rājarṣeḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājarṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः राजन्+ऋषि (तत्पुरुष) — ‘of the royal sage’

• putrabhāvam: sonhood; the state of being a son
• putrabhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra-bhāva (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र+भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः पुत्रस्य भावः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘state of being a son’

• gatasya: having attained
• gatasya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) + gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of (one) who has gone/attained’

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन — ‘to you’

• śuśrūṣām: service; attendance
• śuśrūṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuśrūṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘service/attendance’

• saṃvidhāsyāmaḥ: we shall perform/arrange
• saṃvidhāsyāmaḥ: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√vidhā (धातु: विधा/धा with उपसर्ग सम्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन — ‘we shall render/arrange’

• teṣu: in those
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन — ‘in/among those’

• teṣu: in those (various)
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन — पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — ‘and’

• karmasu: in duties/actions
• karmasu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन — ‘in (the) actions/duties’

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (पुं) — ‘them’

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner) — ‘thus’

• vādinaḥ: those who were speaking
• vādinaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन — ‘speaking (thus)’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (पुं) — ‘he’

• ayam: this
• ayam: Apposition (Sāmānādhikaraṇya/सामानाधिकरण्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (पुं) — ‘this (one)’

• vidhūmaḥ: Vidhūma
• vidhūmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘Vidhūma’ (proper name)

• vākyam: words; a statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘speech/words’

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘said/spoke’

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Vidhūma’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvara kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small retinue speaks earnestly to Vidhūma, offering service in all tasks as he enters a new ‘sonhood’ status to King Śatānīka; the mood is solemn, anticipatory.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhūma
• Śatānīka
• Three attendants

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service (śuśrūṣā) is treated as a sacred duty that can transcend circumstances, emphasizing steadfastness in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the broader Setukhaṇḍa context situates the teaching within the sanctified Setu landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.