Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

जीवत्ययं पुनः कस्मात्कारणं कथ यस्व नः । इत्युक्तश्चिंतयामास ध्यानेन ऋषिसत्तमः

Transliteration

jīvatyayaṃ punaḥ kasmātkāraṇaṃ katha yasva naḥ | ityuktaściṃtayāmāsa dhyānena ṛṣisattamaḥ

Translation

« Pourquoi revient-il à la vie ? Dis-nous la raison. » Ainsi interpellé, le meilleur des sages y réfléchit par la méditation.

Word by Word

• jīvati: (he/it) lives
• jīvati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• kasmāt: from what? / why?
• kasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• kāraṇam: cause, reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• katha: how?
• katha: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• yasva: tell/say (imperative)
• yasva: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; (पाठभेद/अशुद्धलेख्यसंभावना: 'yasva' = 'yā sva' / 'vadasva' इत्यर्थे)

• naḥ: to us / our
• naḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• uktaḥ: having been addressed / spoken to
• uktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• cintayāmāsa: he pondered
• cintayāmāsa: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• dhyānena: by meditation
• dhyānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: the best of sages
• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'ऋषीणां सत्तमः'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (reporting a question to the sage and his response by meditation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages ask the reason for repeated revival; the foremost ṛṣi turns inward, entering meditation to discover the cause.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsas
• Ṛṣi-sattama (foremost sage)
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditative insight (dhyāna) is portrayed as a valid Purāṇic means to discern subtle causes—boons, divine favor, and karmic conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the māhātmya’s sacred frame, though this verse emphasizes inner inquiry rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is implicitly upheld as a spiritual practice, though no formal rite is detailed.