Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथावदत्स्वसैन्यार्थं प्रांजलिः स महीपतिः । अज्ञानाद्बालया यत्ते कृतं तत्क्षंतुमर्हसि

Transliteration

athāvadatsvasainyārthaṃ prāṃjaliḥ sa mahīpatiḥ | ajñānādbālayā yatte kṛtaṃ tatkṣaṃtumarhasi

Translation

അപ്പോൾ രാജാവ് കരംകൂപ്പി തന്റെ സൈന്യത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ പറഞ്ഞു—അജ്ഞാനത്താൽ ഒരു ബാലിക നിന്നോടു ചെയ്ത കുറ്റം നീ ക്ഷമിക്കേണമേ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (sequencing particle)

• अवदत्: said
• अवदत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘said’

• स्व-सैन्य-अर्थम्: for the sake of his own army
• स्व-सैन्य-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: (स्वसैन्यस्य अर्थम्) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative of purpose

• प्राञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘with joined palms’ (gesture)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• महीपतिः: the king
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मह्याः पतिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अज्ञानात्: out of ignorance
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; Ablative singular (cause)

• बालया: by the girl
• बालया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• यत्: whatever which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; Dative singular

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• क्षन्तुम्: to forgive
• क्षन्तुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘to forgive/endure’

• अर्हसि: you should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; ‘you ought/are worthy’

Speaker

Śaryāti

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: audience within the māhātmya dialogue (traditionally sages/Skanda’s interlocutors)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king stands before an austere sage in a sacred coastal grove, palms joined, pleading forgiveness for an inadvertent offense committed by a young maiden; soldiers wait at a respectful distance.

Characters & Entities

• Śaryāti
• Sukanyā
• Cyavana (implied)
• sainya (army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣamā (forgiveness) restores harmony; rulers must seek pardon from the spiritually eminent to protect society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where sacred space frames ethical reconciliation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act shown is añjali and supplication—an ethical-ritual gesture of humility.