Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

गच्छ मद्वचनाच्छक्र पत्नीमन्यां कुतश्चन । गृहीत्वा शीघ्रमागच्छ न स्यात्कालात्ययो यथा

Transliteration

gaccha madvacanācchakra patnīmanyāṃ kutaścana | gṛhītvā śīghramāgaccha na syātkālātyayo yathā

Translation

«Va, ô Śakra, selon mon ordre : amène de quelque part une autre épouse et reviens vite, afin que l’heure prescrite ne soit point dépassée.»

Word by Word

• gaccha: go
• gaccha: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• mat: my
• mat: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-रूप; (सम्बन्ध/possessive)

• vacanāt: from (my) command; by order
• vacanāt: Apadana (Source/Reason/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• śakra: O Śakra (Indra)
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• patnīm: a wife
• patnīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• anyām: another
• anyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• kutaścana: from somewhere; from anywhere
• kutaścana: Desha/Source adjunct (Adverbial/देश-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaś-cana (अव्यय-द्वय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable); kutaḥ = 'from somewhere/whence' (interrog./indef. adverb) + cana (indefinite particle)

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)

• āgaccha: come back
• āgaccha: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• syāt: should be; may occur
• syāt: Kriya (Potential action/सम्भावना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• kāla-atyayaḥ: delay; passing of the time-limit
• kāla-atyayaḥ: Karta (Subject of syāt/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla-atyaya (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: कालस्य अत्ययः = lapse of time/overstepping time); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• yathā: so that; lest
• yathā: Upamana/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner particle: 'so that/as')

Speaker

The Dīkṣita / Yajña leader (contextually Brahmā/Pitāmaha in the Paitāmaha-yajña frame, issuing an order to Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā issues a crisp command to Indra to procure a suitable bride swiftly so the consecration time is not missed; urgency and ritual gravity dominate.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Patnī
• Kāla (appointed time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual dharma emphasizes timely completion; when obstacles arise, decisive action is taken to protect the sanctity of the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The command occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra yajña narrative, portraying the site as a stage for cosmic, time-sensitive dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid kālātyaya (missing the proper ritual time) and ensure the required patnī-role is fulfilled for the yajña to proceed.