Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यदि सा निश्चयं गच्छेन्मरणं प्रति भामिनी । तदा रक्ष्या प्रयत्नेन वाच्यं हास्यं ममोद्भवम्

Transliteration

yadi sā niścayaṃ gacchenmaraṇaṃ prati bhāminī | tadā rakṣyā prayatnena vācyaṃ hāsyaṃ mamodbhavam

Translation

ആ സുന്ദരി മരണത്തിലേക്ക് നിശ്ചയിച്ചാൽ, അവളെ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ സംരക്ഷിക്കണം; കൂടാതെ എന്റെ ഭാഗത്തു നിന്നുള്ള ഹാസ്യം ഉണർത്തുന്ന വാക്കുകൾ പറയണം.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction: 'if')

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• niścayam: a resolve, decision
• niścayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• gacchet: should go/undertake
• gacchet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prati: towards
• prati: Sambandha (Direction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय/पूर्वसर्ग (preposition: 'towards')

• bhāminī: the woman (Sunandā)
• bhāminī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'then')

• rakṣyā: should be protected
• rakṣyā: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (रक्ष् धातु)
• Form: यत्/तव्यत्-भावे (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'to be protected'

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• vācyam: should be spoken
• vācyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate: 'should be said'

• hāsyam: a joke, laughter-provoking (thing)
• hāsyam: Karma (Content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• udbhavam: originating from me
• udbhavam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with हास्यम्): 'arising from me'

Speaker

Indrasena (continuing instructions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kingly addressee within frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king’s contingency plan: if Sunandā chooses death, the messenger must physically guard her and distract her with laughter-inducing words—an unsettling blend of care and manipulation.

Characters & Entities

• Indrasena
• Sunandā
• Messenger (dūta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One becomes responsible for the consequences of one’s words; preventing harm is a dharmic imperative even after wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is practical—protect her and distract her with humor.