Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्रपश्यंति यथा रात्रौ खद्योतं दीपवत्स्थितम् । यदिदं मन्यसे सारं श्रृणु तस्याप्यसारताम्

Transliteration

prapaśyaṃti yathā rātrau khadyotaṃ dīpavatsthitam | yadidaṃ manyase sāraṃ śrṛṇu tasyāpyasāratām

Translation

Tout comme, la nuit, on peut prendre une luciole pour une lampe, de même ce que tu considères comme « essentiel » — écoute maintenant son absence totale d'essence.

Word by Word

• prapaśyanti: they see clearly
• prapaśyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√paś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/उपमानवाचक अव्यय (comparative particle: “as/just as”)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (sg.)

• khadyotam: a firefly
• khadyotam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khadyota (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (sg.)

• dīpavat-sthitam: standing like a lamp
• dīpavat-sthitam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित प्रत्यय) + √sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (dīpavat = “like a lamp”) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (sthita = “standing/placed”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying khadyotam)

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (demonstrative)

• manyase: you think/consider
• manyase: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (sg.)

• sāram: essence; what is substantial
• sāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन

• śṛṇu: hear; listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• tasya: of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (m./n.), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: “also/even”)

• asāratām: insubstantiality; lack of essence
• asāratām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-sāratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night scene: a traveler mistakes a tiny firefly’s flicker for a steady oil-lamp; a teacher points out the error, symbolizing discernment between seeming essence and true essence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly values can be mistaken like a firefly for a lamp; the verse urges clear discrimination and hearing the truth about impermanence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it serves as a general instruction on delusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the ‘prescription’ is listening to teaching and developing discernment.