Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

एतद्गोप्यं वरारोहे न देयं यस्य कस्यचित् । गोपनीयमिदं शास्त्रं यथा प्राणाः स्वकाः प्रिये

Transliteration

etadgopyaṃ varārohe na deyaṃ yasya kasyacit | gopanīyamidaṃ śāstraṃ yathā prāṇāḥ svakāḥ priye

Translation

ഹേ സുന്ദരീ! ഇത് ഗോപ്യം; ആരെയെങ്കിലും എളുപ്പത്തിൽ നൽകരുത്. ഹേ പ്രിയേ! ഈ ശാസ്ത്രത്തെ സ്വന്തം പ്രാണങ്ങളെപ്പോലെ ഗോപ്യമായി കാത്തുസൂക്ഷിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• गोप्यम्: secret, to be kept hidden
• गोप्यम्: Visheshya-bhava (Predicate adjective/विशेष्यभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (to be concealed), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरारोहे: O fair-limbed one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारयः (वरा आरोहा = O fair-hipped/beautiful-limbed one)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• देयम्: to be given
• देयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be given’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom, to whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• कस्यचित्: of anyone whatsoever
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular); अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• गोपनीयम्: to be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Visheshya-bhava (Predicate adjective/विशेष्यभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपनीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be concealed’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• शास्त्रम्: teaching, scripture
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (as, like)

• प्राणाः: life-breaths, vital airs
• प्राणाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• स्वकाः: one's own
• स्वकाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra-dīpaka teaching)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks privately to Pārvatī in an intimate teaching setting; the ‘secret lamp’ of doctrine is symbolized by a covered flame, suggesting guarded transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is to be transmitted with discernment, not indiscriminately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the confidential subject of the discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes secrecy and careful transmission of the śāstra.