Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

साऽब्रवीन्न हि मे कार्यं कामधर्मेण सत्तम । कौमारं व्रतमासाद्य साधयिष्ये यथेप्सितम्

Transliteration

sā'bravīnna hi me kāryaṃ kāmadharmeṇa sattama | kaumāraṃ vratamāsādya sādhayiṣye yathepsitam

Translation

Ia menjawab: “Wahai insan terbaik, aku tidak berkepentingan dengan jalan nafsu. Dengan menempuh vrata keperawanan, aku akan meraih tujuan yang kuinginkan.”

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपपादक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध (negation)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपपादक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/for)

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: business/need
• कार्यम्: विषय (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘(there is) no need/concern’ इत्यर्थे

• कामधर्मेण: with the way of desire; by erotic conduct
• कामधर्मेण: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• सत्तम: O best of the good
• सत्तम: सम्बोधन (Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय; superlative)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• कौमारम्: maidenly/virginal
• कौमारम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमार (प्रातिपदिक; कुमार + अण् तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् व्रतम्

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having undertaken
• आसाद्य: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त; absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund); ‘having attained/undertaken’

• साधयिष्ये: I will accomplish
• साधयिष्ये: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √साध् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (as/according to)

• ईप्सितम्: what is desired
• ईप्सितम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √आप्/ईप्स् (धातु; desiderative sense) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘desired’ (object of accomplishing)

Speaker

The maiden (sādhvī/virtuous young woman)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden stands firm, palm raised in gentle refusal (abhaya/niṣedha gesture), face calm; a subtle aura of tapas surrounds her, contrasting with the other’s agitation; the sea and tīrtha atmosphere remain serene.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) and self-restraint are upheld as dharmic means to achieve one’s rightful aims, superior to indulgence in passion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the power of vrata and purity is showcased within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kaumāra-vrata (a vow of maidenhood/celibacy) is explicitly affirmed as the chosen discipline.