Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

आनासाग्रशिखाग्राभ्यां चिरं चैवावलोकितः । ततोऽहसत्स सहसा तं मृकण्डो ह्यलक्षयत्

Transliteration

ānāsāgraśikhāgrābhyāṃ ciraṃ caivāvalokitaḥ | tato'hasatsa sahasā taṃ mṛkaṇḍo hyalakṣayat

Translation

Il l’observa longuement, de la pointe du nez jusqu’au sommet du crâne. Puis, soudain, il éclata de rire, et Mṛkaṇḍu s’en aperçut.

Word by Word

• आनासाग्रशिखाग्राभ्याम्: with (his) nose-tip and hair-tip
• आनासाग्रशिखाग्राभ्याम्: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-नासाग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखाग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्वः (नासाग्रं च शिखाग्रं च)

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (for a long time)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction ‘and’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis ‘indeed/just’)

• अवलोकितः: was observed
• अवलोकितः: Kriyā (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense) — ‘was looked at/observed’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• अहसत्: laughed
• अहसत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘laughed’

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (suddenly)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• मृकण्डः: Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — कारण/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• अलक्षयत्: noticed
• अलक्षयत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘noticed/observed’

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (sectional locus) within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha network

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa carefully examines the child’s features from nose-tip to crown, then laughs suddenly; Mṛkaṇḍu watches, alarmed, sensing hidden meaning.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Learned brāhmaṇa (sāmudravit)
• The child

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even auspicious appearances can conceal karmic limits; discernment invites humility and spiritual urgency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the hermitage narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.