Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततस्ते पुरतो दृष्ट्वा शुकं श्रांता दिवौकसः । पप्रच्छुः श्रद्धया वह्निर्यदि दृष्टः प्रकथ्यताम्

Transliteration

tataste purato dṛṣṭvā śukaṃ śrāṃtā divaukasaḥ | papracchuḥ śraddhayā vahniryadi dṛṣṭaḥ prakathyatām

Translation

Тогда небожители, утомлённые, увидев перед собой Шуку, с благоговением спросили: «Если ты видел Агни, поведай нам».

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘then’

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता (divaukasaḥ) के लिए

• purataḥ: in front
• purataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘in front/nearby’

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund) — ‘having seen’

• śukam: Śuka (a person named Śuka)
• śukam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• śrāntāḥ: tired
• śrāntāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śram (श्रम् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘tired/exhausted’ (कर्तृवाचक विशेषण)

• divaukasaḥ: heaven-dwellers (gods)
• divaukasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिवः ओकसि वसन्ति) — ‘dwellers in heaven’

• papracchuḥ: they asked
• papracchuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (प्रच्छ् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• śraddhayā: with faith, respectfully
• śraddhayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणम् (भावेन)

• vahniḥ: fire (Agni)
• vahniḥ: Karma (Topic/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विषय/प्रश्नवस्तु (about fire)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त/सम्भावना) — ‘if’

• dṛṣṭaḥ: seen
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘seen’ (vahniḥ understood as subject of passive sense: ‘if (he) has been seen’)

• prakathyatām: let it be told/declared
• prakathyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः — ‘let it be told’ (प्र + कथ्यते)

Speaker

Pulastya (narrator); direct speech by the Devas

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Śuka
• Agni (Vahni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (śraddhā-yukta praśna) is a dharmic way to seek truth and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of the Arbuda sacred landscape where Agni’s hiding-place will be discovered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes śraddhā (faithful reverence) as the proper attitude.