Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

इत्यर्जुनवचः श्रुत्वा स्मयन्दामोदरोऽब्रवीत् । एवमेतद्यथा प्राह फाल्गुनोऽयं मृषा न तत्

Transliteration

ityarjunavacaḥ śrutvā smayandāmodaro'bravīt | evametadyathā prāha phālguno'yaṃ mṛṣā na tat

Translation

അർജ്ജുനന്റെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ദാമോദരൻ പുഞ്ചിരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് പറഞ്ഞു: 'ഫാൽഗുനൻ പറഞ്ഞത് സത്യമാണ്, അത് കളവല്ല.'

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• arjuna-vacaḥ: Arjuna's words
• arjuna-vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक) + vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—अर्जुनस्य वचः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• smayan: smiling
• smayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smi (स्मि धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dāmodaraḥ: Dāmodara (Krishna)
• dāmodaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāmodara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• evam: so, thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• etat: this (is)
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: as/just as)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (अह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• phālgunaḥ: Phālguna (Arjuna)
• phālgunaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phālguna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ayam: this (man)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mṛṣā: false, falsely
• mṛṣā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mṛṣā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/असत्यार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: falsely)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• tat: that (statement)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Dāmodara (Kṛṣṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa (Dāmodara) smiling gently, turning toward Arjuna, affirming the truth of his statement; surrounding warriors pause, attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Dāmodara (Kṛṣṇa)
• Phālguna (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When resolve is dharmically grounded, divine wisdom affirms and steadies it—confidence becomes sacred when aligned with truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.