Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ध्रुव उवाच । ब्राह्म्यं वैष्णवं माहेन्द्रं पदमावृत्तिलक्षणम् । विदितं मम तत्सर्वं मनसाऽपि न कामये

Transliteration

dhruva uvāca | brāhmyaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ māhendraṃ padamāvṛttilakṣaṇam | viditaṃ mama tatsarvaṃ manasā'pi na kāmaye

Translation

ध्रुव म्हणाला— ब्रह्मा, विष्णू आणि महेंद्र (इंद्र) यांची जी पदे पुनरावृत्ती (पुनर्जन्म) लक्षणाची आहेत, ती सर्व मला ज्ञात आहेत; मनानेही मी त्यांची इच्छा करीत नाही।

Word by Word

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• brāhmyaṃ: Brahmā’s (state/realm)
• brāhmyaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• vaiṣṇavam: Viṣṇu’s (state/realm)
• vaiṣṇavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• māhendram: Mahendra’s/Indra’s (state/realm)
• māhendram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māhendra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• padam: abode
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• āvṛtti-lakṣaṇam: characterized by return (rebirth)
• āvṛtti-lakṣaṇam: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āvṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘āvṛtteḥ lakṣaṇam’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; qualifying ‘padam’

• viditam: known
• viditam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vid (विद्, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; predicative

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

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• manasā: by mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• kāmaye: I desire
• kāmaye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kam (कम्, धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva, composed and resolute, addresses the Lord with folded hands, rejecting the splendor of celestial realms; the background hints at Prabhāsa’s coastal sacred landscape and a radiant liṅga-shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Mahendra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual maturity rejects even exalted heavens when they remain within the cycle of return.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the narrative elevates renunciation and pure devotion as the highest pursuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse teaches discernment (viveka) about realms that still entail āvṛtti.