Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

व्रतव्याजेन राजेन्द्र न तु गौरी व्यजानत । कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य नारदो भगवान्मुनिः । कैवल्यज्ञानसंपन्नस्तत्रायातः परिभ्रमन्

Transliteration

vratavyājena rājendra na tu gaurī vyajānata | kasyacittvatha kālasya nārado bhagavānmuniḥ | kaivalyajñānasaṃpannastatrāyātaḥ paribhraman

Translation

ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ! വ്രതം എന്ന ഈ നിമിത്തത്തിൽ ഗൗരി യഥാർത്ഥം തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞില്ല. കുറെകാലത്തിന് ശേഷം കൈവല്യജ്ഞാനസമ്പന്നനായ ഭഗവാൻ മുനി നാരദൻ സഞ്ചരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് അവിടെ എത്തി.

Word by Word

• व्रत-व्याजेन: by the pretext of a vow
• व्रत-व्याजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य व्याजः) — Instrumental singular (by/with the pretext of a vow)

• राजेन्द्र: O king (of kings)
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Vocative singular (O king of kings)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• गौरी: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• व्यजानत: knew/recognized
• व्यजानत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः वि- — Imperfect 3rd sg (she knew/recognized)

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (of some) — Genitive singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of time)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• भगवान्: venerable/divine
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (honorific adjective)

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• कैवल्य-ज्ञान-संपन्नः: endowed with liberating knowledge
• कैवल्य-ज्ञान-संपन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कैवल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (कृदन्त; सम्+पद् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कैवल्यस्य ज्ञानं तेन संपन्नः) — Nominative singular (endowed with knowledge of liberation)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• आयातः: having come/arrived
• आयातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) ; आयात (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle used predicatively (having come)

• परिभ्रमन्: wandering about
• परिभ्रमन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग) ; परिभ्रमन् (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present participle (wandering)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator addressing a king (listener implied by 'rājendra')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Gaṅgā-sannidhi tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī remains unaware of Śiva’s true intent behind the vow; time passes; Nārada, radiant and ascetic, arrives with vīṇā, embodying liberation-knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Nārada
• Śiva (implied via context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives often show how divine play can be veiled; liberating insight (kaivalya-jñāna) is represented by sages like Nārada who reveal hidden meanings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region is the narrative frame; its sanctity is heightened by the arrival of Nārada and the presence of Śiva-related observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata is referenced as the outward form of Śiva’s observance, though used here as a narrative device (vyāja).