Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

गव्यूतिमात्रं तत्रैव शून्यं मानुषवर्जितम् । एवं दृष्ट्वा स राजा तु संतप्तो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

gavyūtimātraṃ tatraiva śūnyaṃ mānuṣavarjitam | evaṃ dṛṣṭvā sa rājā tu saṃtapto vākyamabravīt

Translation

Ce lieu était vide, déserté des hommes, sur environ un gavyūti d’étendue. Voyant cela, le roi, brûlant de chagrin, prononça ces paroles.

Word by Word

• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: only a gavyūti in extent
• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गव्यूति-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; components: गव्यूति + मात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शून्यम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: just/only)

• शून्यम्: empty, deserted
• शून्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (predicate/attribute)

• मानुषवर्जितम्: devoid of people
• मानुषवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष-वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; components: मानुष + वर्जित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शून्यम्)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

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

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• संतप्तः: distressed, afflicted
• संतप्तः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic desert scene: a long empty belt of land, no settlements, only wind and sand; the king stands distressed, turning toward companions as words form on his lips.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• gavyūti (distance measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A stark setting underscores the urgency of dharmic action—compassion must move from feeling to decisive speech and deed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse contrasts a barren region with the pure, efficacious tīrthas mentioned earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the king’s forthcoming compassionate proposal.