Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यद्यहं मनसा वापि कामये नापरं पतिम् । एतेन सत्यवाक्येन यातु जारः स्वयं क्षयम्

Transliteration

yadyahaṃ manasā vāpi kāmaye nāparaṃ patim | etena satyavākyena yātu jāraḥ svayaṃ kṣayam

Translation

'जर मी मनाने सुद्धा दुसऱ्या पतीची (पुरुषाची) कामना केली नसेल, तर या सत्यवचनाने तो जार (व्यभिचारी) स्वतःच नाश पावो.'

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मनसा: with (my) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: 'even/also')

• कामये: I desire
• कामये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्/काम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; desiderative sense 'I desire'

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

• अपरम्: another
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'patim')

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• एतेन: by this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सत्यवाक्येन: by this true statement
• सत्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सत्यं च तत् वाक्यं)

• यातु: let (him) go
• यातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जारः: paramour/adulterer
• जारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'of himself')

• क्षयम्: destruction/end
• क्षयम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

The woman (devī—female figure in the narrative, speaking a truth-utterance/curse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: She declares mental exclusivity to her husband, invoking truth to destroy the ‘jāra’; the scene is charged yet calm, suggesting the stillness of inner purity behind fierce words.

Characters & Entities

• Satya-vākya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is framed not only as external conduct but also as inner intention; the mind’s fidelity is treated as dharmically significant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where moral power and karmic consequence are narrated within a sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse centers on satya-vākya as a dharmic act rather than a formal ritual.