Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

गत्वा वायो भवं ब्रूहि न कार्या संततिस्त्वया । एवं देवगणा देव प्रार्थयंति भयातुराः

Transliteration

gatvā vāyo bhavaṃ brūhi na kāryā saṃtatistvayā | evaṃ devagaṇā deva prārthayaṃti bhayāturāḥ

Translation

Wahai Vāyu, pergilah dan sampaikan kepada Bhava (Śiva): ‘Engkau jangan memperanakkan keturunan.’ Demikianlah, wahai dewa, para gana para dewa yang diliputi takut memohon kepadamu.

Word by Word

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकाल) — gerund “having gone”

• वायो: O Vāyu
• वायो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular

• भवम्: welfare, well-being
• भवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• ब्रूहि: tell, speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person singular

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — negation particle

• कार्या: to be done, to be made
• कार्या: Predicate (Vidheyavisheshana)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine nominative singular; predicate adjective with implied ‘(सा) संततिः’

• संततिः: progeny, continuation
• संततिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine nominative singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन — Pronoun; Instrumental singular (“by you”)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Manner/Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) — indeclinable adverb “thus”

• देवगणाः: the hosts of gods
• देवगणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine nominative plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine vocative singular (addressing Vāyu as ‘deva’)

• प्रार्थयन्ति: they request, entreat
• प्रार्थयन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person plural

• भयातुराः: distressed with fear
• भयातुराः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine nominative plural; तत्पुरुषः (“distressed by fear”)

Speaker

Deva-gaṇas (quoted within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial assembly of anxious devas implores Vāyu to carry a delicate message to Bhava (Śiva): a request that He not beget offspring; the mood is tense, reverential, and politically charged.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Deva-gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse highlights a Purāṇic concern for cosmic equilibrium, where even creation (offspring) is framed within dharmic timing and universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The request forms part of the mythic background that explains the sanctity and fame of Īśānī-śikhara/Gaurī’s kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative instruction directed to Vāyu within the story.