Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

आसीनमासने विप्रं प्रणम्य स्मितभाषिणी । कथयामास तत्कार्यं येनारण्यं गता च सा

Transliteration

āsīnamāsane vipraṃ praṇamya smitabhāṣiṇī | kathayāmāsa tatkāryaṃ yenāraṇyaṃ gatā ca sā

Translation

Après s’être prosternée devant le brāhmaṇa assis sur son siège, elle, souriante et d’une parole douce, exposa l’affaire pour laquelle elle était allée en forêt.

Word by Word

• आसीनम्: seated
• आसीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसीन (कृदन्त; √आस् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• आसने: on the seat
• आसने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विप्रम्: the brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• स्मितभाषिणी: the smiling speaker (woman)
• स्मितभाषिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मित + भाषिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्मितं भाषते इति)

• कथयामास: told, related
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; √कथय्/कथ्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्कार्यम्: that matter/business
• तत्कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य कार्यम्)

• येन: by which, whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अरण्यम्: to the forest
• अरण्यम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गता: went
• गता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a quiet hall, Nārada sits on an āsana; Sāvitrī bows, then speaks with a soft smile, hands folded, attendants at a respectful distance.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is communicated through reverence—bowing to the wise and speaking truthfully opens the way for right counsel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode unfolds within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, framing the dialogue as spiritually significant to the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma (obeisance) to a brāhmaṇa/sage is highlighted as an essential dharmic act preceding discourse.