Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

गव्यूतिमात्रं तत्रैव शून्यं मानुषवर्जितम् । एवं दृष्ट्वा स राजा तु संतप्तो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

gavyūtimātraṃ tatraiva śūnyaṃ mānuṣavarjitam | evaṃ dṛṣṭvā sa rājā tu saṃtapto vākyamabravīt

Translation

അവിടെയേ ഗവ്യൂതി മാത്രം വിസ്തീർണ്ണമുള്ള സ്ഥലം മനുഷ്യരില്ലാതെ ശൂന്യമായിരുന്നു. അത് കണ്ട രാജാവ് ദുഃഖത്തിൽ ദഹിച്ച് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: only a gavyūti in extent
• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गव्यूति-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक; components: गव्यूति + मात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शून्यम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle: just/only)

• शून्यम्: empty, deserted
• शून्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (predicate/attribute)

• मानुषवर्जितम्: devoid of people
• मानुषवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष-वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; components: मानुष + वर्जित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शून्यम्)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

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

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• संतप्तः: distressed, afflicted
• संतप्तः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic desert scene: a long empty belt of land, no settlements, only wind and sand; the king stands distressed, turning toward companions as words form on his lips.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• gavyūti (distance measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A stark setting underscores the urgency of dharmic action—compassion must move from feeling to decisive speech and deed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse contrasts a barren region with the pure, efficacious tīrthas mentioned earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the king’s forthcoming compassionate proposal.