Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तत्रापि नेतुं यदि मां समर्था यत्रासते वारिचयाः समेताः । अतोऽन्यथा नाहमलीकवादी प्राणे प्रयाते मुनिवाक्यकारी

Transliteration

tatrāpi netuṃ yadi māṃ samarthā yatrāsate vāricayāḥ sametāḥ | ato'nyathā nāhamalīkavādī prāṇe prayāte munivākyakārī

Translation

‘നിങ്ങൾക്ക് എന്നെ അവിടേക്ക് നയിക്കാൻ കഴിയുമെങ്കിൽ—ജലസമൂഹങ്ങൾ ഒന്നിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തേക്ക്—നയിക്കൂ. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഞാൻ അസത്യവാദിയല്ല; പ്രാണൻ പോയാലും മുനിവാക്യം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവൻ.’

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• api: also
• api: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपातः (also/even)

• netum: to lead/take
• netum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तः (infinitive); कर्मार्थक-क्रियानाम

• yadi: if
• yadi: Avyaya (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (conditional conjunction)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• samarthāḥ: capable (you all)
• samarthāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (यूयम्/ते इत्यस्य)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचकः (relative adverb: where)

• āsate: they sit/are present
• āsate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ās (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान/present), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• vāricayāḥ: masses/collections of water
• vāricayāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāricaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: वारिणां चयाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• sametāḥ: assembled / gathered
• sametāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam+√i (धातु) → sameta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (वारिचयाः)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Avyaya (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; हेत्वर्थक-अव्ययम् (therefore/from this)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Avyaya (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (otherwise)

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• alīkavādī: a speaker of falsehood / liar
• alīkavādī: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alīka + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: अलीकं वदति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• prāṇe: when life/breath
• prāṇe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (सप्तमी-absolute आरम्भ)

• prayāte: having departed / when departed
• prayāte: Saptami-absolute (Circumstance/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+√yā (धातु) → prayāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-absolute (locative absolute)

• munivākyakārī: one who carries out the sage’s word
• munivākyakārī: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + vākya + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: मुनेः वाक्यं करोति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Vāḍava (reported within Īśvara’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker stands resolute, one hand raised in oath-like gesture, eyes unwavering; devas appear hesitant, as if weighing whether they can guide him. The path toward a hidden water-mass is suggested by a distant glimmer or cavern-river.

Characters & Entities

• Vāḍava
• Āpaḥ (Waters)
• Muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) and fidelity to a sage’s instruction are upheld as dharma—even above personal survival.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsakṣetra māhātmya frame continues; the verse stresses dharma-values supporting the sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it highlights vow-keeping and adherence to muni-vākya as a dharmic discipline.