Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । ब्रूहि पार्थिवशार्दूल यत्ते मनसि वर्त्तते । कथयिष्यामि तत्सर्वं यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्ल्लभम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | brūhi pārthivaśārdūla yatte manasi varttate | kathayiṣyāmi tatsarvaṃ yadyapi syātsudurllabham

Translation

ਵਸਿਸ਼ਠ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਹੇ ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੇਰ, ਜੋ ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਰਤਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਬੋਲ। ਭਾਵੇਂ ਉਹ ਅਤਿ ਦੁਲੱਭ ਹੋਵੇ, ਮੈਂ ਉਹ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਕਹਿ ਦਿਆਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: speak/tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पार्थिवशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• पार्थिवशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पार्थिवः शार्दूलः)

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वर्त्तते: is/occurs
• वर्त्तते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्/वर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कथयिष्यामि: I will tell
• कथयिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• यद्यपि: although
• यद्यपि: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाववत् समुच्चय (concessive particle: 'although')

• स्यात्: may be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सुदुर्ल्लभम्: very difficult to obtain
• सुदुर्ल्लभम्: Karma (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; कर्मधारय (सु + दुर्लभ)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (unnamed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage audience: Vasiṣṭha seated on kuśa grass with kamaṇḍalu and japa-mālā; the king stands with folded hands, requesting instruction; forest backdrop with sacrificial fire.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Ajapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true guru responds with compassion and clarity, making even rare knowledge accessible to sincere seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it introduces the forthcoming teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is the opening of the instruction (upadeśa) section of the dialogue.