Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शैब्योवाच । सत्यं ब्रूहि महाभाग किं करोति यदूत्तमः । संगतो नागरस्त्रीभिरस्माकं किं कथां स्मरेत्

Transliteration

śaibyovāca | satyaṃ brūhi mahābhāga kiṃ karoti yadūttamaḥ | saṃgato nāgarastrībhirasmākaṃ kiṃ kathāṃ smaret

Translation

ଶୈବ୍ୟା କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାଭାଗ, ସତ୍ୟ କୁହ; ଯଦୁମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ସେ କ’ଣ କରୁଛନ୍ତି? ନାଗରୀ ସ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କ ସହିତ ଘେରା ଥାଇ, ସେ ଆମ କଥା କାହିଁକି ସ୍ମରିବେ?

Word by Word

• शैब्यः: Śaibya
• शैब्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaibya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्यम्: truthfully / the truth
• सत्यम्: Karma/Prayojana (Adverbial object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverbial accusative)

• ब्रूहि: tell/speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भाग (प्रातिपदिक); कर्मधारय-समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदूत्तमः: the best of the Yadus
• यदूत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदु + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (यदूनाम् उत्तमः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सङ्गतः: having associated / joined
• सङ्गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Active Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नागरस्त्रीभिः: with city-women
• नागरस्त्रीभिः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक); कर्मधारय-समास
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कथाम्: talk/story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्मरेत्: would remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śaibyā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uddhava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaibyā, distressed, questions Uddhava with pleading eyes; behind them, palace balconies and city-women’s distant laughter heighten her fear of being forgotten.

Characters & Entities

• Śaibyā
• Kṛṣṇa (Yadūttama)
• Nāgara-striyaḥ (city-women)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Viraha-bhakti intensifies remembrance; the devotee’s pain becomes a form of unwavering contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is implied by the mention of city-women and Kṛṣṇa’s urban life, but the verse is primarily emotional dialogue, not tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question expressing doubt and longing.