Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दास्यांतरेण मिलिता इन्द्रसूरिश्च जीविकः । शाबरीं मंत्रविद्यां च कथयामास भारत

Transliteration

dāsyāṃtareṇa militā indrasūriśca jīvikaḥ | śābarīṃ maṃtravidyāṃ ca kathayāmāsa bhārata

Translation

Ó Bhārata, Indrasūri—que vivia de seu ofício—encontrou-se com ela por intermédio de uma criada e lhe ensinou a ciência dos mantras de Śābarī.

Word by Word

• दास्याः: of a maidservant
• दास्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अन्तरेण: through / by means of
• अन्तरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तरेण (अव्यय)
• Form: सह/विना-अर्थक-अव्ययम्; अत्र ‘माध्यमेन/द्वारा’ (through, by means of)

• मिलिता: met
• मिलिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मिल् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past participle) ‘met/joined’; स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि—‘she met’

• इन्द्रसूरिः: Indrasūri
• इन्द्रसूरिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रसूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• जीविकः: Jīvika
• जीविकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीविक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; व्यक्तिनाम/विशेषणवत् (a person named Jīvika or ‘livelihood-seeker’)

• शाबरीम्: Śābarī (tribal/Śabara-related)
• शाबरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाबरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying मंत्रविद्याम्)

• मन्त्रविद्याम्: mantra-knowledge
• मन्त्रविद्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—मन्त्राणां विद्या (knowledge of mantras)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• कथयामास: told / narrated
• कथयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + लिट् (लकारः)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; ‘he narrated/told’

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; vocative 'bhārata' retained as epic-style address)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (epic-style addressee; likely a royal/ṛṣi interlocutor in the frame narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maidservant leads Indrasūri to a private chamber; the princess listens intently as he teaches Śābarī mantra-vidyā; the scene carries secrecy and moral ambiguity—lamplight, shadows, hushed gestures.

Characters & Entities

• Indrasūri
• Maidservant
• Śābarī mantra-vidyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Secretive instruction and fascination with occult lore are depicted as openings through which delusion can enter and dharma can be displaced.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse advances the Dharmāraṇya storyline rather than praising a particular tīrtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-vidyā is mentioned (Śābarī tradition), but no approved Vedic prescription is given; it is presented as a narrative influence.