Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पित्रादेशं विना नाहं पदमेकमपि क्वचित् । गच्छामि तस्मात्कोऽप्यन्य उपायश्चिंत्यतां हरे

Transliteration

pitrādeśaṃ vinā nāhaṃ padamekamapi kvacit | gacchāmi tasmātko'pyanya upāyaściṃtyatāṃ hare

Translation

“പിതാവിന്റെ ആജ്ഞയില്ലാതെ ഞാൻ എവിടെയും ഒരു പടിയെങ്കിലും പോകുകയില്ല. അതിനാൽ, ഹേ ഹരി, മറ്റൊരു ഉപായം ആലോചിക്കണം।”

Word by Word

• पितृआदेशम्: father’s command
• पितृआदेशम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितुः आदेशः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Prepositional particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात; वियोग/अभावार्थक (without)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

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

• पदम्: a step
• पदम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (agreeing with पदम्)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even)

• क्वचित्: anywhere; ever
• क्वचित्: Deśa/Kāla (Adverbial modifier/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (somewhere/ever)

• गच्छामि: I go
• गच्छामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन (1st person singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• कः: who?; what?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Interrogative pronoun)

• अपि: someone; any
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक (in ‘कः अपि’ = someone/anyone)

• अन्यः: other
• अन्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (agreeing with implied ‘उपायः’)

• उपायः: means; solution
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• चिन्त्यताम्: let (it) be thought out
• चिन्त्यताम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative: ‘let it be considered’)

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Sarasvatī (contextual; speaking to Hari/Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden insists she cannot move even a step without her father’s order and urges Hari to devise another method; the emotional center is respectful refusal.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Hari
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings act within dharma—respecting rightful command and seeking righteous alternatives rather than acting impulsively.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the setting; its glory is conveyed through the divine safeguarding of cosmic order connected to the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse highlights ethical restraint and adherence to dharmic authority.