Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

आपस्तंब उवाच । श्रमेण महताविष्टाः कैवर्त्ता दुःखजीविनः । मम मूल्यं प्रयच्छेति यद्योग्यं मन्यसे नृप

Transliteration

āpastaṃba uvāca | śrameṇa mahatāviṣṭāḥ kaivarttā duḥkhajīvinaḥ | mama mūlyaṃ prayaccheti yadyogyaṃ manyase nṛpa

Translation

Āpastamba disse: “Os pescadores, tomados por grande fadiga e vivendo na aflição, dizem: ‘Paga o meu preço.’ Se o julgares adequado, ó rei, concede esse pagamento.”

Word by Word

• आपस्तम्बः: Āpastamba
• आपस्तम्बः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपस्तम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• श्रमेण: by fatigue; with exertion
• श्रमेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• महतā: great
• महतā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-तृतीया एकवचन रूप (Instrumental singular); विशेषणम्—‘श्रमेण’ इत्यस्य

• आविष्टाः: afflicted; overcome
• आविष्टाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—‘कैवर्त्ताः’

• कैवर्त्ताः: fishermen
• कैवर्त्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवर्त्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• दुःखजीविनः: living in misery; hardship-living
• दुःखजीविनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःखेन जीविनः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—‘कैवर्त्ताः’

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• मूल्यम्: price; value
• मूल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रयच्छ: give; pay
• प्रयच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यत्: what; that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (contextually object of ‘मन्यसे’); सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• योग्यम्: appropriate; fitting
• योग्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘यत्’

• मन्यसे: you think; consider
• मन्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Āpastamba

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Āpastamba, serene yet firm, gestures toward weary fishermen with nets and weathered faces; he speaks to the king about their toil and rightful payment.

Characters & Entities

• Āpastamba
• Kaivartas (fisherfolk/boatmen)
• Nabhāga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes justice and compassion—those burdened by hardship deserve fair recompense, especially when a sage intercedes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the narrative frames ethical giving and social responsibility as part of the tīrtha’s sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A form of dāna/compensation is requested—payment deemed fitting for the suffering fisherfolk.