Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नमश्चक्रुर्यथान्यायं विना सांबं त्वरान्विताः । अविनीतं तु तं दृष्ट्वा कथयामास नारदः

Transliteration

namaścakruryathānyāyaṃ vinā sāṃbaṃ tvarānvitāḥ | avinītaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā kathayāmāsa nāradaḥ

Translation

அவர்கள் அனைவரும் விரைவாக முறையின்படி வணங்கினர்—சாம்பனைத் தவிர. அவன் பணிவில்லாததைப் பார்த்த நாரதர் அப்போது கூறினார்.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (interjection-like use)

• चक्रुः: they performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/रीतिवाचक (adverb: 'as/according to')

• न्यायम्: proper rule/justice (properly)
• न्यायम्: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: 'properly')

• विना: without
• विना: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक उपपद (preposition: 'without')

• साम्बम्: Sāmba
• साम्बम्: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'विना' इत्युपपदयोगे

• त्वरा-अन्विताः: endowed with haste
• त्वरा-अन्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/सह-भावः: 'त्वरया अन्वित'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अविनीतम्: undisciplined/insolent
• अविनीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविनीत (कृदन्त, क्त; √नी with वि- उपसर्ग, नकार-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having seen'

• कथयामास: said/told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī/Dvārakā (narrative locus leading to Prabhāsa consequences)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of princes offers swift salutations; one youth, Sāmba, remains unmoved. Nārada’s gaze sharpens; the court’s mood tightens as the sage prepares to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sāmba

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single lapse in reverence toward the holy can trigger grave consequences; dharma is tested in small acts of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it introduces the cause that later culminates in the Nārada-Āditya tīrtha account at Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper namaskāra (salutation) to sages ‘according to custom’ is implied as the correct practice.