Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मनसा चिंतितं ह्येतत्पद्मान्यादाय करोम्यहम् । विक्रयं येन चाहारो भवेन्मम च सर्वथा

Transliteration

manasā ciṃtitaṃ hyetatpadmānyādāya karomyaham | vikrayaṃ yena cāhāro bhavenmama ca sarvathā

Translation

അവൻ മനസ്സിൽ ചിന്തിച്ചു—“ഈ പദ്മങ്ങൾ ശേഖരിച്ചു വിറ്റാൽ, എനിക്ക് എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും ആഹാരം ലഭിക്കും.”

Word by Word

• मनसा: in the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; करण/उपायार्थे (in mind/by mind)

• चिन्तितम्: was thought/considered
• चिन्तितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तित (कृदन्त-भूतकृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्गः प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावे (was thought)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), कारण/निश्चयार्थकः (indeed/for)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विषय/कर्म (this)

• पद्मानि: lotuses
• पद्मानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्; कर्म (object of 'आदाय')

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु) → आदाय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः; पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• करोमि: I do / I will do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person) एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; कर्तरि

• विक्रयम्: sale/selling
• विक्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; कर्म (object: sale/selling)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) एकवचनम्; करण/उपायार्थे (by which/whereby)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (and)

• आहारः: food/sustenance
• आहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; कर्तरि (of 'भवेत्')

• भवेत्: may become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person) एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th) एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धे (genitive: of me/my)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (and)

• सर्वथा: in every way / certainly
• सर्वथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचकं (in every way/always)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Padma-kānana (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (pārthiva-sattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor man gazes at blooming lotuses, calculating survival; his hands reach to gather flowers while his face shows worry and resolve.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in distress, one seeks lawful means of sustenance; intention (saṅkalpa) becomes the first step toward later devotion and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Arbuda and the Kedāra/Śiva-temple setting that follows in the narrative (Kedāra mentioned in later verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly here; it sets up the circumstances that later lead to Śivarātri night-vigil (jāgaraṇa).