Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

क्व त्वया गम्यते ब्रह्मन्निरालंबे महापथि । शून्ये तत्त्वं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

kva tvayā gamyate brahmannirālaṃbe mahāpathi | śūnye tattvaṃ samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

Translation

«Où vas-tu, ô Brahmā, sur cette vaste voie sans appui ? Dis-moi la vérité de ce vide, car grande est mon désir de savoir.»

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Discourse (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb: where)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (addressed person), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गम्यते: is being gone to / are you going
• गम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: ‘is being gone to’)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• निरालम्बे: supportless
• निरालम्बे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) → निरालम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies mahāpathi)

• महापथि: on the great path
• महापथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् पन्थाः)

• शून्ये: in the void
• शून्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्त्वम्: truth, reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• समाचक्ष्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: great, intense
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies kautūhalam)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/for)

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

Speaker

Ketakī (addressing Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, dark, supportless cosmic roadway; a questioning figure addresses Brahmā moving along the ‘mahāpatha’; the sense of void/space surrounds them, hinting at an unseen infinite liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Ketakī
• Brahmā
• Vyoma-mārga (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The quest for the Infinite confronts ‘supportlessness’ and mystery; sincere inquiry (without deceit) is essential on the path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya narrative; it does not directly name a tīrtha, but contributes to the sanctity of the Arbuda section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogic inquiry about the metaphysical ‘void’ encountered in the upward journey.