Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

मयाऽनीता शुभा माला लब्धश्चांतं चतुर्भुज । त्वया लब्धो न चासत्यं वद मे पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

mayā'nītā śubhā mālā labdhaścāṃtaṃ caturbhuja | tvayā labdho na cāsatyaṃ vada me puruṣottama

Translation

(Brahmā berkata:) “Aku telah membawa kalungan bunga yang suci lagi bertuah ini, dan aku telah menemui penghujungnya, wahai Yang Bertangan Empat. Engkau tidak menemuinya—maka katakanlah kepadaku dengan benar, wahai Puruṣottama.”

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ānītā: brought
• ānītā: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘आनीता’ (brought)

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• mālā: garland
• mālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• labdhaḥ: obtained
• labdhaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘लब्धः’ (obtained)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• antam: the end/limit
• antam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• caturbhuja: O four-armed one
• caturbhuja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या) + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य (O four-armed one)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• labdhaḥ: obtained
• labdhaḥ: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘लब्धः’ (obtained)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — not

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — and

• asatyam: falsehood
• asatyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘असत्य’ (falsehood)

• vada: tell
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘वद’ (say/tell)

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

• puruṣottama: O Puruṣottama
• puruṣottama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—पुरुषेषु उत्तमः (O best of men)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā confronts Viṣṇu, holding an auspicious garland, claiming he found the end; he challenges Viṣṇu to speak truth—moral drama under the shadow of the infinite liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Caturbhuja, Puruṣottama)
• Śiva (as the Liṅga)
• Ketakī flower/garland

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands truth, yet the narrative highlights how pride can still frame a conversation around ‘victory’ rather than reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly in this verse; it continues the liṅga-mahātmyā discourse within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.