Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सुरामृतमिति ज्ञात्वा पीयूषाद्वंचिता वयम् । तिलतैलमेवमिष्टं यैर्न दृष्टं घृतं क्वचित्

Transliteration

surāmṛtamiti jñātvā pīyūṣādvaṃcitā vayam | tilatailamevamiṣṭaṃ yairna dṛṣṭaṃ ghṛtaṃ kvacit

Translation

ഇത് ‘ദേവാമൃതം’ എന്നു കരുതി ഞങ്ങൾ യഥാർത്ഥ പീയൂഷത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വഞ്ചിതരായി. ഒരിക്കലും നെയ്യ് കണ്ടിട്ടില്ലാത്തവർ എള്ളെണ്ണയെയേ ശ്രേഷ്ഠമെന്നു കരുതുന്നതുപോലെ ഞങ്ങളും മോഹിതരായി.

Word by Word

• सुरा: liquor
• सुरा: Sambandha (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अमृतम्: liquor and nectar (as a pair)
• अमृतम्: Karma (as identified object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: सुरा + अमृत (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व, नपुंसक एकवचन-समाहार), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• इति: thus/as
• इति: Sambandha (quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थ-निपात (quotative particle)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकाल

• पीयूषात्: from nectar
• पीयूषात्: Apadana (from nectar)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीयूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• वञ्चिताः: deceived
• वञ्चिताः: Karta (predicate adjective of vayam)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वञ्च् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (deceived)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तिल: sesame
• तिल: Sambandha (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद

• तैलम्: sesame oil
• तैलम्: Karma/Pratipādya (that which is desired)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तिल + तैल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तिलस्य तैलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)

• इष्टम्: is desired/liked
• इष्टम्: Kriya (predicate, passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि (desired/approved)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana/Agent (by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (predicate, passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि (seen)

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Karma (object of 'seen' in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha/Kala (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Narrator quoting the deceived Daitya/Asura side (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective moment after deception: figures lament having taken surā as amṛta; an elder points to a bowl of ghee versus sesame oil, illustrating the upamā of ignorance.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras)
• Amṛta/Pīyūṣa
• Ghṛta (ghee)
• Tila-taila (sesame oil)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance makes one accept inferior substitutes; spiritual discernment is required to recognize the highest good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa) is the textual frame; the verse itself is moralizing narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.