Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वदस्व कारणं तात गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं यदि । प्रतीकारोऽस्य येनैव विमृश्य क्रियते त्वरा

Transliteration

vadasva kāraṇaṃ tāta guhyādguhyataraṃ yadi | pratīkāro'sya yenaiva vimṛśya kriyate tvarā

Translation

Wahai anakanda, nyatakanlah sebabnya, sekalipun ia lebih rahsia daripada segala rahsia, agar setelah ditimbang dengan saksama, penawar yang wajar dapat segera dilaksanakan.

Word by Word

• वदस्व: speak, tell
• वदस्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तात: dear one, father (as address)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गुह्यात्: than the secret
• गुह्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनाबिन्दु (standard of comparison)

• गुह्यतरम्: more secret
• गुह्यतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तर (तद्धित-प्रत्यय, comparative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तुलनात्मक (comparative)

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

• प्रतीकारः: remedy, countermeasure
• प्रतीकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्य: of this, for this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विमृश्य: having considered
• विमृश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle)

• क्रियते: is done, is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• त्वरा: quickly, with haste
• त्वरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇī (the woman, addressing the brāhmaṇa/sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-māhātmya frame

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned speaker implores a trusted elder/minister/ascetic to reveal a deeply secret cause so that a remedy can be executed quickly; intimate, tense court-or-hermitage setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a fault arises, one should seek the cause honestly and apply an appropriate remedy (pratīkāra) promptly and thoughtfully.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies prāyaścitta/rectification through “pratīkāra,” but does not specify a concrete rite here.