Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सेवां कर्त्तुं मम स्थाने ब्रूहि केऽत्र समागताः । उवाच स प्रणम्याग्रे दण्डपाणिर्निशाचरः

Transliteration

sevāṃ karttuṃ mama sthāne brūhi ke'tra samāgatāḥ | uvāca sa praṇamyāgre daṇḍapāṇirniśācaraḥ

Translation

«Pour servir en ma cour, dis-moi : qui s’est assemblé ici ?» demanda ainsi Rāvaṇa. Alors Daṇḍapāṇi, le rôdeur nocturne, se prosterna devant lui et parla.

Word by Word

• सेवाम्: service
• सेवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय, infinitive)
• Form: कृदन्त (Verbal derivative), तुमुनन्त (Infinitive), अर्थः—कर्तुं = ‘to do’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थाने: in (my) place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• के: who (plural)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• समागताः: have arrived
• समागताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) → समागत (क्त-प्रत्यय, past participle)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; अर्थः—‘having come/arrived’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) → प्रणम्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष, gerund)
• Form: कृदन्त, ल्यप् (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—‘having bowed’

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘in front’

• दण्डपाणिः: (the one) holding a staff
• दण्डपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘दण्डः पाणौ यस्य’ इति रूढिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निशाचरः: night-roamer (demon)
• निशाचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘निशायां चरति’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive (Narrator voice; dialogue introduced—Rāvaṇa speaking, then Daṇḍapāṇi replying)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa questions who has assembled to serve; Daṇḍapāṇi, a night-roaming guard/official, steps forward with staff in hand, bows, and begins his report.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Court/assembly (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows the mechanics of power—questions, gatekeepers, protocol—contrasted implicitly with the humility (praṇāma) that dharma esteems.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya’s sacred locus; this verse itself is narrative dialogue rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts courtly procedure (bowing and reporting).