Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा चिंतयामास सूक्ष्मान्धर्मान्स वामनः । अल्पायासान्सुबहुलान्पुत्रलक्ष्मीप्रदायकान्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā ciṃtayāmāsa sūkṣmāndharmānsa vāmanaḥ | alpāyāsānsubahulānputralakṣmīpradāyakān

Translation

L’ayant contemplé, Vāmana réfléchit aux formes subtiles du dharma : des pratiques de faible effort mais de fruits abondants, accordant la grâce de la descendance et de la prospérité.

Word by Word

• tam: him/that (mountain)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); √दृश् (having seen)

• ciṃtayāmāsa: pondered, thought
• ciṃtayāmāsa: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परिप्रयोग (periphrastic perfect)

• sūkṣmān: subtle
• sūkṣmān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of dharmān)

• dharmān: duties, dharmas
• dharmān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• sa: he
• sa: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vāmanaḥ: Vāmana
• vāmanaḥ: Kartā (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to sa)

• alpāyāsān: requiring little effort
• alpāyāsān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa + āyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (अल्पः आयासः येषां) विशेषण (of dharmān, understood)

• su-bahulān: very abundant
• su-bahulān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + bahula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव (सु- = very) विशेषण

• putra-lakṣmī-pradāyakān: granting sons and prosperity
• putra-lakṣmī-pradāyakān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra + lakṣmī + pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पुत्रं च लक्ष्मीṃ च प्रददाति इति) विशेषण (of dharmān, understood)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana stands contemplatively at a sacred spot, eyes lowered in reflection, sensing subtle dharmas that grant progeny and prosperity; the landscape hints at coastal Prabhāsa with a river’s course toward the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Dharma
• Putra
• Lakṣmī
• Ujjayanta (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Within tīrtha-context, even small, well-directed dharmic acts can yield great spiritual and worldly blessings when performed with sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa/Saurāṣṭra sacred landscape connected to Vastrāpatha-kṣetra and the sight of Ujjayanta (context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is named; the verse points to ‘subtle dharmas’—accessible practices that grant abundant merit, including progeny and prosperity.