Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अथोवाच वसिष्ठस्तं संत्रस्तं नंदिवर्द्धनम् । मा भीः कार्या त्वया तत्र देशे दौष्ट्यात्कथंचन

Transliteration

athovāca vasiṣṭhastaṃ saṃtrastaṃ naṃdivarddhanam | mā bhīḥ kāryā tvayā tatra deśe dauṣṭyātkathaṃcana

Translation

Alors Vasiṣṭha dit à Nandivardhana, saisi d’effroi : «Ne crains en aucune manière la perversité de ce pays.»

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संत्रस्तम्: frightened
• संत्रस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संत्रस्त (प्रातिपदिक/क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तम्/नन्दिवर्द्धनम्)

• नन्दिवर्द्धनम्: Nandivardhana
• नन्दिवर्द्धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिवर्द्धन (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (prohibitive particle)

• भीः: fear
• भीः: Kriya (Prohibited action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative) निषेधसहित (prohibitive), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘भैः’ इत्यर्थे (do fear)

• कार्या: (it) should be done
• कार्या: Kriya (Predicate nominal/क्रिया-समर्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; क्तव्यत्-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (to be done) — ‘भीः’ इत्यस्य भावार्थे (fear is to be done)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/Agent), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• देशे: in the region
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दौष्ट्यात्: because of wickedness
• दौष्ट्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौष्ट्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/निषेध-प्राय (in any way/at all)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandivardhana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, composed and radiant, speaks to a frightened Nandivardhana, raising a calming hand; the rugged landscape recedes as the guru’s presence dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Nandivardhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sage’s guidance dispels fear; dharma and divine intent can transform even a troubled region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Arbuda region is being prepared for its future holiness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; it is a moral injunction against fear.