Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततः स पृथिवीपालः साम्ना चोग्रेण च स्वयम् । पर्यपृच्छत्सुहृद्वर्गं प्रत्यजानन्न चैव ते

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālaḥ sāmnā cogreṇa ca svayam | paryapṛcchatsuhṛdvargaṃ pratyajānanna caiva te

Translation

Alors le protecteur de la terre (le roi), tantôt par des paroles douces, tantôt par des paroles sévères, interrogea lui-même son cercle d’amis ; mais eux ne reconnurent nullement l’affaire.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• pṛthivī-pālaḥ: the ruler of the earth (king)
• pṛthivī-pālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पृथिव्याः पालः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• sāmnā: by conciliation
• sāmnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; 'by conciliation'

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• ugreṇa: by harshness/force
• ugreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; 'by severity/force'

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Adverbial (Agent-emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वार्थे)

• paryapṛcchat: questioned, inquired
• paryapṛcchat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√prach (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• suhṛt-vargam: the group of friends/allies
• suhṛt-vargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुहृदां वर्गः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• pratyajānān: answering (him)
• pratyajānān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√jñā (धातु) → pratyajānāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; 'answering/acknowledging' (agreeing)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; 'they'

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator voice within the Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king (Śaryāti) alternates gentle and stern questioning of his trusted companions in a tight circle, faces averted, no one admitting fault; the atmosphere is controlled but tense.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpāla (king)
• suhṛdvarga (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership requires discernment: even gentle and stern questioning may fail when truth is concealed, prompting a deeper search for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), though this verse itself is narrative setup rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on the king’s inquiry and the companions’ silence.