Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अशोकदत्तं विप्रेंद्र साहसं मा कृथा इति । तदाकर्ण्य द्विजसुतो विमानवरसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

aśokadattaṃ vipreṃdra sāhasaṃ mā kṛthā iti | tadākarṇya dvijasuto vimānavarasaṃsthitam

Translation

« Ô Aśokadatta, le meilleur des brāhmaṇas, n’agis pas avec témérité », dit-il. À ces mots, le fils du brāhmaṇa tourna son regard vers celui qui siégeait dans le sublime vimāna.

Word by Word

• अशोकदत्तम्: O Aśokadatta
• अशोकदत्तम्: Sambodhana (Vocative function)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोकदत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे द्वितीया (addressed person in accusative, poetic)

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative singular)

• इन्द्र: chief, lord
• इन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-प्रथमा; एकवचन; (विप्रेन्द्र = विप्र + इन्द्र, sandhi-split)

• साहसम्: rash act, violence
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (prohibitive particle used with imperative)

• कृथाः: do (make)
• कृथाः: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; निषेधार्थे (prohibitive: “do/make”)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थे/उद्धरणचिह्न (thus)

• तत्: that (statement)
• तत्: Karma (Object of hearing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (that [speech])

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु: कर्ण् “to hear”)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); “having heard/listened”

• द्विजसुतः: the brahmin’s son
• द्विजसुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजस्य सुतः)

• विमानवरसंस्थितम्: seated in a splendid aerial car
• विमानवरसंस्थितम्: Karma (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; समासः—विमानवरे संस्थितम् (situated in an excellent vimāna); विशेषण (qualifying an implied person, likely vidyādharapatiṃ)

Speaker

Vijñaptikautuka (vidyādharapati)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (episode at Hemakāñcana-saras)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame typical; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the vimāna, the Vidyādhara addresses Aśokadatta with a raised hand of restraint; the youth turns upward, weapon lowered slightly, attention captured by the divine warning.

Characters & Entities

• Aśokadatta
• dvijasuta
• vimāna
• Vijñaptikautuka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even righteous zeal must be guided by discernment; dharma includes restraint and right timing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa tīrtha-region forms the sacred backdrop, though the verse itself focuses on counsel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical instruction (avoid sāhasa) within the pilgrimage narrative.