Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

क्व त्वया गम्यते ब्रह्मन्निरालंबे महापथि । शून्ये तत्त्वं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

kva tvayā gamyate brahmannirālaṃbe mahāpathi | śūnye tattvaṃ samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

Translation

“Ke manakah engkau pergi, wahai Brahmā, di jalan agung yang luas tanpa sandaran ini? Nyatakan kepadaku hakikat kebenaran tentang kekosongan ini, kerana besar benar rasa ingin tahuku.”

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Discourse (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb: where)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (addressed person), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गम्यते: is being gone to / are you going
• गम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: ‘is being gone to’)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• निरालम्बे: supportless
• निरालम्बे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) → निरालम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies mahāpathi)

• महापथि: on the great path
• महापथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् पन्थाः)

• शून्ये: in the void
• शून्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्त्वम्: truth, reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• समाचक्ष्व: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: great, intense
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies kautūhalam)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed/for)

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

Speaker

Ketakī (addressing Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, dark, supportless cosmic roadway; a questioning figure addresses Brahmā moving along the ‘mahāpatha’; the sense of void/space surrounds them, hinting at an unseen infinite liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Ketakī
• Brahmā
• Vyoma-mārga (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The quest for the Infinite confronts ‘supportlessness’ and mystery; sincere inquiry (without deceit) is essential on the path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya narrative; it does not directly name a tīrtha, but contributes to the sanctity of the Arbuda section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dialogic inquiry about the metaphysical ‘void’ encountered in the upward journey.