Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सत्यं वच्मि हितं वच्मि सारं वच्मि पुनःपुनः । असारे दग्धसंसारे सारं तत्र शिवार्चनम्

Transliteration

satyaṃ vacmi hitaṃ vacmi sāraṃ vacmi punaḥpunaḥ | asāre dagdhasaṃsāre sāraṃ tatra śivārcanam

Translation

ഞാൻ സത്യം പറയുന്നു, ഹിതം പറയുന്നു, വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സാരമത്രേ പറയുന്നു. ഈ അസാരമായ, ദഹിക്കുന്ന സംസാരത്തിൽ യഥാർത്ഥ സാരം ശിവാരാധന തന്നെയാണ്.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वच्मि इत्यस्य कर्म)

• वच्मि: I speak
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हितम्: what is beneficial
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) + क्त, ‘placed/beneficial’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वच्मि इत्यस्य कर्म)

• वच्मि: I speak
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सारम्: the essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वच्मि इत्यस्य कर्म)

• वच्मि: I speak
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुनःपुनः: again and again
• पुनःपुनः: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय) + पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय-युग्म (adverb: repeatedly)

• असारे: in the non-essential
• असारे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषण (संसारे इत्यस्य)

• दग्धसंसारे: in the burnt/afflicted world-cycle
• दग्धसंसारे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त; √दह् + क्त) + संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषण-समास

• सारम्: the essence
• सारम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate nominative)

• तत्र: there/in that (context)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there/in that)

• शिवार्चनम्: worship of Śiva
• शिवार्चनम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे: ‘शिवस्य अर्चनम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers being instructed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like narrator raises a hand in teaching gesture, repeating ‘satyaṃ vācmi’; behind him, the world is shown as a scorched wheel of saṃsāra, while a cool, luminous Śiva-liṅga stands as the ‘sāra’ refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the impermanent and painful world-cycle, steadfast Śiva-worship is declared the highest practical essence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter is Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, though this verse states a universal principle rather than naming a sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivārcana—formal worship/adoration of Śiva.