Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अशोकदत्तस्तच्छ्रुत्वा करुणावरुणालयः । तत्कालसदृशं वाक्यं तां वधूमब्रवीत्तदा

Transliteration

aśokadattastacchrutvā karuṇāvaruṇālayaḥ | tatkālasadṛśaṃ vākyaṃ tāṃ vadhūmabravīttadā

Translation

അവളുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് കരുണയുടെ ആലയമായ അശോകദത്തൻ ഉടൻ തന്നെ ആ അടിയന്തര സമയത്തിന് യോജിച്ച വചനത്തോടെ ആ നവവധുവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• अशोकदत्तः: Ashokadatta
• अशोकदत्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशोकदत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having heard’

• करुणावरुणालयः: abode of compassion (and Varuṇa)
• करुणावरुणालयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा + वरुण + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (करुणायाः वरुणस्य च आलयः/आश्रयः इति)

• तत्कालसदृशम्: appropriate to that moment
• तत्कालसदृशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्काल + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम् इति)

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वधूम्: bride/young woman
• वधूम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśokadatta, compassionate and alert, turns to the young bride and speaks urgently yet kindly, in a tense roadside/pilgrimage setting near the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Aśokadatta
• the bride (vadhū)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed as timely, compassionate action—right speech fitted to the moment of need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Setu Māhātmya (the sacred Setu/Rāmeśvaram region), though this verse itself focuses on the ethical narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up a dharmic response within the ongoing story.