Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वदस्व कारणं तात गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं यदि । प्रतीकारोऽस्य येनैव विमृश्य क्रियते त्वरा

Transliteration

vadasva kāraṇaṃ tāta guhyādguhyataraṃ yadi | pratīkāro'sya yenaiva vimṛśya kriyate tvarā

Translation

ತಾತಾ, ಕಾರಣವನ್ನು ಹೇಳು—ಅದು ಗುಹ್ಯಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಅತಿಗುಹ್ಯವಾದರೂ—ಸಮ್ಯಕ್ ವಿಮರ್ಶಿಸಿ ಇದರ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ಪ್ರತಿಕಾರವನ್ನು ಶೀಘ್ರ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಲಿ।

Word by Word

• वदस्व: speak, tell
• वदस्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तात: dear one, father (as address)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यात्: than the secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनाबिन्दु (standard of comparison)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित-प्रत्यय, comparative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• प्रतीकारः: remedy, countermeasure
• प्रतीकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्य: of this, for this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विमृश्य: having considered
• विमृश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle)

• क्रियते: is done, is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• त्वरा: quickly, with haste
• त्वरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇī (the woman, addressing the brāhmaṇa/sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-māhātmya frame

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned speaker implores a trusted elder/minister/ascetic to reveal a deeply secret cause so that a remedy can be executed quickly; intimate, tense court-or-hermitage setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a fault arises, one should seek the cause honestly and apply an appropriate remedy (pratīkāra) promptly and thoughtfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies prāyaścitta/rectification through “pratīkāra,” but does not specify a concrete rite here.