Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तपोनित्यस्य वृद्धस्य रोषणस्य विशेषतः । केनापकृतमद्येह भार्गवस्य महात्मनः । ज्ञातं वा यदि वाऽज्ञातं तदिदं ब्रूत मा चिरम्

Transliteration

taponityasya vṛddhasya roṣaṇasya viśeṣataḥ | kenāpakṛtamadyeha bhārgavasya mahātmanaḥ | jñātaṃ vā yadi vā'jñātaṃ tadidaṃ brūta mā ciram

Translation

「この偉大なるバールガヴァは常に苦行に励み、すでに老い、ことに怒りを発すれば恐るべき威を示す。今日ここで、いったい誰がこの大聖を害したのか。故意であれ無意であれ—ただちに、遅滞なく申せ。」

Word by Word

• tapaḥ-nityasya: of the ever-austere (one)
• tapaḥ-nityasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तपसि नित्यः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्; genitive singular masculine

• vṛddhasya: of the aged
• vṛddhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्; qualifying the same person

• roṣaṇasya: of Roṣaṇa (proper name)
• roṣaṇasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'especially'

• kena: by whom
• kena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; interrogative

• apakṛtam: harm, wrongdoing
• apakṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apa-√kṛ (धातु) → apakṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used substantively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; 'harm/wrong done'

• adya: today/now
• adya: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• iha: here
• iha: Adverbial (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• bhārgavasya: of Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• bhārgavasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्; genitive singular

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled
• mahātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनम्; genitive singular; qualifying bhārgavasya

• jñātam: known
• jñātam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jñā (धातु) → jñāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; 'known'

• vā: or
• vā: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तार्थक)

• vā: or
• vā: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात)

• ajñātam: unknown
• ajñātam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + √jñā (धातु) → ajñāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) with negation; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; 'unknown'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular; deictic

• idam: this (matter)
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्; apposition to tat

• brūta: tell (you all)
• brūta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; imperative

• mā: do not
• mā: Prohibition particle (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेधार्थक-निपात)

• ciram: long (time)
• ciram: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; accusative used adverbially = 'for long'

Speaker

Śaryāti (the king) addressing his soldiers/retinue

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Śaryāti addresses his commanders and attendants, stern yet anxious; his gesture demands immediate disclosure; in the background, the ant-hill and the sage’s presence loom as the unseen cause.

Characters & Entities

• Śaryāti
• Bhārgava (Cyavana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is disturbed, leaders must urgently investigate wrongdoing and seek rectification, acknowledging the spiritual authority of tapasvīs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the king recognizes the sacred danger of offending a great sage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse prescribes swift disclosure and accountability as the first step toward resolution.