Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मा ते मिथ्या समारम्भो भवत्वथ तपोधन । जानामि चाहं विप्रर्षे न मिथ्या त्वं करिष्यसि

Transliteration

mā te mithyā samārambho bhavatvatha tapodhana | jānāmi cāhaṃ viprarṣe na mithyā tvaṃ kariṣyasi

Translation

“ഹേ തപോധന, നിന്റെ ഈ സംരംഭം വ്യർത്ഥമാകരുത്. ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മർഷേ, നിന്നെ ഞാൻ അറിയുന്നു—നീ അസത്യം ചെയ്യുകയില്ല।”

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibitive/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• मिथ्या: falsely; in vain
• मिथ्या: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• समारम्भः: undertaking; effort
• समारम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समारम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवतु: let it be
• भवतु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अथ: then; now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (particle: then/now)

• तपोधन: O treasure of austerity (ascetic)
• तपोधन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विप्रर्षे: O brahmin-sage
• विप्रर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• मिथ्या: falsely; in vain
• मिथ्या: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मिथ्या (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• करिष्यसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śatakratu (Indra) (reported within the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra reassures Cyavana: ‘Let your undertaking not be in vain; I know you—your action will not be false.’

Characters & Entities

• Cyavana
• Śatakratu (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and truth are authoritative forces; honoring them restores harmony more than mere power does.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where Cyavana’s spiritual potency is celebrated within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral assurance about sincerity and the integrity of the sage’s action.