Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । एवं स विवरो जातस्तक्षकोत्तंककारणात् । यथा मे चिंत्यते नित्यं धेन्वर्थं श्वभ्रपूरणे

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | evaṃ sa vivaro jātastakṣakottaṃkakāraṇāt | yathā me ciṃtyate nityaṃ dhenvarthaṃ śvabhrapūraṇe

Translation

वसिष्ठ म्हणाले—तक्षक व उत्तंक यांच्या कारणाने हा विवर निर्माण झाला. गायीच्या हितासाठी त्या खड्ड्याचे पूरण कसे करावे याचा मी नित्य विचार करीत असतो।

Word by Word

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + liṭ (लकारः)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vivaraḥ: hole, opening
• vivaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• jātaḥ: arose, came into being
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jan (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'जाता' = arisen

• takṣaka-uttaṃka-kāraṇāt: due to the cause involving Takṣaka and Uttaṅka
• takṣaka-uttaṃka-kāraṇāt: Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: takṣaka (प्रातिपदिक) + uttaṃka (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तक्षकोत्तंकयोः कारणात्)

• yathā: as, in the way that
• yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/adverb), प्रकार/उपमानार्थक

• me: my, to me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• ciṃtyate: is thought of, is considered
• ciṃtyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) + ya (यक्, कर्मणि) + laṭ (लकारः)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• dhenv-artham: for the sake of the cow
• dhenv-artham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (धेनोः अर्थः)

• śvabhra-pūraṇe: in filling the pit
• śvabhra-pūraṇe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvabhra (प्रातिपदिक) + pūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (श्वभ्रस्य पूरणे)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vivarā (the chasm) of Arbuda (etiological feature)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha speaks gravely, pointing toward a yawning chasm; a cow stands nearby, the sage’s face showing concern and resolve to fill the pit.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Takṣaka
• Uttaṅka
• Dhenu (cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when troubles arise from past causes, a dharmic person seeks remedy—especially to protect the cow, a symbol of sacred welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

A particular “vivara/śvabhra” (pit/chasm) is referenced as a sacred-geographic feature within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa context, though it is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; a practical dharmic act—filling a dangerous pit for protection—is emphasized.