Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

बालेनाभिहिता सा तु ध्यात्वा देवं जनार्द्दनम् । कृतांजलिरुवाचेदं कथ्यतां मे सुनिश्चितम्

Transliteration

bālenābhihitā sā tu dhyātvā devaṃ janārddanam | kṛtāṃjaliruvācedaṃ kathyatāṃ me suniścitam

Translation

बालकाने असे म्हटल्यावर तिने श्रीजनार्दनाचे ध्यान केले. मग हात जोडून म्हणाली— “मला निश्चयाने सांगा, याचे खरे सत्य काय आहे?”

Word by Word

• bālena: by the boy
• bālena: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• abhihitā: was spoken
• abhihitā: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√dhā/√bhāṣ (धात्वर्थ) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) 'abhihita' = 'spoken/said'; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), contrast/emphasis

• dhyātvā: having meditated
• dhyātvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• janārddanam: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• janārddanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janārdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे देवम्

• kṛta-añjaliḥ: with folded hands
• kṛta-añjaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ + kta) + añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कृताञ्जलिः = कृतः अञ्जलिः यस्य (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-सन्निकर्ष; here adjectival 'with folded hands'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of 'said'

• kathyatām: let it be told
• kathyatām: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी (4th/6th), एकवचन; enclitic

• suniścitam: certain, definite
• suniścitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- (उपसर्ग) + niścita (√ci + nis + kta; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—'well-determined/certain' (referring to matter to be told)

Speaker

Narrator (describing her response)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (rishis/disciples in frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A motherly figure, addressed by a child, closes her eyes in meditation on Janārdana; then opens them, hands folded, asking for decisive truth.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Viṣṇu
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In confusion and grief, one should turn inward to the deity through meditation and humble inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, presented as a setting where devotion to Janārdana arises naturally within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional act is implied: dhyāna (meditation) and añjali (folded-hands reverence).