Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गमिष्यति कुमारोऽयं निधनं पंचमे दिने । तन्न युक्तं हि नो वाक्यमसत्यं द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

gamiṣyati kumāro'yaṃ nidhanaṃ paṃcame dine | tanna yuktaṃ hi no vākyamasatyaṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

« Ce jeune garçon ira à la mort au cinquième jour. Alors nos paroles deviendraient mensongères — chose indigne, ô meilleurs des deux-fois-nés. »

Word by Word

• गमिष्यति: will go/meet (death)
• गमिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुमारः: the boy/prince
• कुमारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पञ्चमे: on the fifth
• पञ्चमे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिने)

• दिने: day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यांश-प्रत्यय (that/this matter)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• युक्तम्: proper/consistent
• युक्तम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—उचितम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) बहुवचन/द्विवचन-प्रयोगः; अर्थः—अस्माकम् (of us)

• वाक्यम्: statement
• वाक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असत्यम्: false
• असत्यम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• द्विज-सत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Unnamed Ṛṣis (contextually the Saptarṣis) addressing Brahmā / each other

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣa ṛṣis / internal addressee 'O king' in the episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grave declaration: the boy is destined to die on the fifth day; sages and patron react with moral alarm that their words may become false.

Characters & Entities

• kumāra (the child)
• dvija (brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth (satya) is upheld as a core dharma; even sages seek remedies so their words never become false.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Arbuda-khaṇḍa (Mount Arbuda’s sacred sphere), though this verse itself focuses on satya-dharma rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes ethical urgency (avoiding falsehood) and the need for a divine resolution.