Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो रौद्रं ज्ञानिना समुदाहृतम् । व्रतोपनयनं चक्रे बालकस्य पिता तदा

Transliteration

etacchrutvā vaco raudraṃ jñāninā samudāhṛtam | vratopanayanaṃ cakre bālakasya pitā tadā

Translation

ജ്ഞാനി ഉച്ചരിച്ച ആ കടുത്ത വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് ബാലന്റെ പിതാവ് അപ്പോൾ അവനു വ്രതവും ഉപനയനസംസ്കാരവും നടത്തി।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vaco इति पदस्य)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having heard)

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• रौद्रम्: fierce/terrible
• रौद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vaco इति)

• ज्ञानिना: by the wise man
• ज्ञानिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• समुदाहृतम्: uttered/declared
• समुदाहृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+आ+हृ (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (vaco इति) विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• व्रतोपनयनम्: initiation into the vow (upanayana)
• व्रतोपनयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपनयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्रतस्य उपनयनम्)

• चक्रे: performed/did
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• बालकस्य: of the boy
• बालकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father performs upanayana: the boy receives yajñopavīta, holds a daṇḍa, and is instructed in discipline; the atmosphere is solemn, driven by impending danger.

Characters & Entities

• jñānī
• upanayana
• vrata
• father
• boy

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When confronted with impermanence, dharma responds through timely saṃskāras and disciplined vows rather than paralysis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where sacred practice and life-turning rites are portrayed as especially meaningful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata and upanayana (the sacred-thread initiation) for the boy.