Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा तु स ज्ञानी उषित्वा तत्र शर्वरीम् । मृकंडेनाभ्यनुज्ञात इष्टं देशं जगाम ह

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | evamuktvā tu sa jñānī uṣitvā tatra śarvarīm | mṛkaṃḍenābhyanujñāta iṣṭaṃ deśaṃ jagāma ha

Translation

ପୁଲସ୍ତ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ଏପରି କହି ସେ ଜ୍ଞାନୀ ମୁନି ସେଠାରେ ରାତିଟି ରହିଲେ; ଏବଂ ମୃକଣ୍ଡଙ୍କ ଅନୁମତି ପାଇ, ନିଜ ଇଚ୍ଛିତ ଦେଶକୁ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive)

• तु: but, then
• तु: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• ज्ञानी: the wise man
• ज्ञानी: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उषित्वा: having stayed
• उषित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) → उषित्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• शर्वरीम्: the night
• शर्वरीम्: Kāla (Time-extent as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• मृकण्डेन: by Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्डेन: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: having been permitted
• अभ्यनुज्ञातः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अनु + ज्ञा (धातु) → अनुज्ञात (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• इष्टम्: desired, chosen
• इष्टम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इष्ट (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying देशम्)

• देशम्: place, region
• देशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• ह: indeed (narrative)
• ह: Nipāta (Narrative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/इतिवृत्त-निपात (narrative particle)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya narrates: the wise sage, after speaking, spends the night at the hermitage; at dawn, with Mṛkaṇḍa’s permission, he sets out toward his chosen destination.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Mṛkaṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic journey is undertaken with humility—after proper speech, rest, and respectful permission from elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa context of Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, but this specific line emphasizes the conduct of sages rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the implied discipline is respectful leave-taking (anujñā) before proceeding onward.