Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सुनामानं वसुं चैव मंत्रिणौ वाक्यमब्रवीत् । कश्चायमसुरान्हंति किमर्थं ज्ञायतामिति

Transliteration

sunāmānaṃ vasuṃ caiva maṃtriṇau vākyamabravīt | kaścāyamasurānhaṃti kimarthaṃ jñāyatāmiti

Translation

അവൻ തന്റെ രണ്ടു മന്ത്രിമാരായ സുനാമയും വസുവിനോടും പറഞ്ഞു: “അസുരന്മാരെ വധിക്കുന്നവൻ ആരാണ്? എന്തിനാണ്? അന്വേഷിച്ച് അറിയുക।”

Word by Word

• सुनामानम्: Sunāman (name of a minister)
• सुनामानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (accusative singular masculine; proper name)

• वसुम्: Vasu (name of a minister)
• वसुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (accusative singular masculine; proper name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• मंत्रिणौ: the two ministers
• मंत्रिणौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (accusative dual masculine)

• वाक्यम्: words, a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (accusative singular neuter)

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (imperfect, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun; nominative singular masculine)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun; nominative singular masculine)

• असुरान्: Asuras, demons
• असुरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (accusative plural masculine)

• हन्ति: kills, strikes down
• हन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• किमर्थम्: why? for what reason?
• किमर्थम्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रश्नार्थक-समासप्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (interrogative adverbial: for what purpose/why)

• ज्ञायताम्: let it be known / ascertain
• ज्ञायताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (imperative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada; passive: let it be known)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-निपात; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

Speaker

Daitya king (Kuśa, implied by nearby verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya-king addresses two ministers, Sunāma and Vasu, in a council moment beside the chariot: stern faces, pointing gesture, scrolls or weapons nearby, urgency to identify the asura-slayer and motive.

Characters & Entities

• Sunāma
• Vasu
• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives show rulers seeking counsel; discernment (jñāna) and inquiry precede action, though motives may be adharmic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya, part of the sacred geography centered on Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a political-military inquiry addressed to ministers.