Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

चरंतं विषमे स्थाने चरंतं परगोकुले । अकार्येषु प्रवर्तंतं हे सख्यो वारयिष्यथ

Transliteration

caraṃtaṃ viṣame sthāne caraṃtaṃ paragokule | akāryeṣu pravartaṃtaṃ he sakhyo vārayiṣyatha

Translation

“അവൻ അപകടസ്ഥലങ്ങളിൽ അലഞ്ഞാൽ, മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ ഗോകുലത്തിലേക്ക് പോയാൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അനാചാരത്തിലേക്ക് തിരിഞ്ഞാൽ—ഹേ സഖിമാരേ, നിങ്ങളവനെ തടയണം।”

Word by Word

• चरन्तम्: one who is roaming
• चरन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) → चरन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; present active participle used adjectivally

• विषमे: in difficult/uneven
• विषमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• चरन्तम्: roaming
• चरन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) → चरन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; present active participle

• परगोकुले: in another’s cow-pen/other herd-settlement
• परगोकुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (परस्य गोकुलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• अकार्येषु: in improper acts
• अकार्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; locative plural

• प्रवर्तन्तम्: engaging/acting
• प्रवर्तन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) → प्रवर्तन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; present active participle (engaged in)

• हे: O!
• हे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• सख्यः: friends (female)
• सख्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; vocative plural

• वारयिष्यथ: you will restrain
• वारयिष्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वारय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; causative: 'you will restrain/stop'

Speaker

Kapilā (inferred from context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The companions watch a child near a rocky ravine/forest edge and near another herd; one woman gently restrains him, another points back toward safety, conveying protective vigilance.

Characters & Entities

• Phenapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection includes moral guidance—preventing a dependent from danger and wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography forms the backdrop; the verse itself teaches conduct within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; it prescribes vigilant supervision and restraint from akārya (improper acts).