Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

शार्दूलेन कपींद्राणां सारासारोपवर्णनम् । त्रयोदश्याद्यमांते च लंकायां दिवसैस्त्रिभिः

Transliteration

śārdūlena kapīṃdrāṇāṃ sārāsāropavarṇanam | trayodaśyādyamāṃte ca laṃkāyāṃ divasaistribhiḥ

Translation

లంకలో త్రయోదశి మొదలుకొని మూడు దినములు శార్దూలుడు వానరాధిపతులకు సారము–అసారము, తత్త్వము–ఆభాసము అనే భేదాన్ని వివరించాడు।

Word by Word

• शार्दूलेन: by Śārdūla (a person named Śārdūla)
• शार्दूलेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कपीन्द्राणाम्: of the lords of monkeys
• कपीन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः: कपि + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सारासारोपवर्णनम्: description of what is essential and non-essential
• सारासारोपवर्णनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार + असार + उपवर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः: सार + असार (द्वन्द्व) + उपवर्णन (तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्ध)

• त्रयोदश्याद्यम्: beginning with the thirteenth (day)
• त्रयोदश्याद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदशी + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: त्रयोदशी-आद्य (कर्मधारय)

• आन्ते: at the end
• आन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; रूपम्: अन्ते

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• दिवसैः: by days; in (a number of) days
• दिवसैः: Karana (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (सङ्ख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Laṅkā, a learned figure Śārdūla addresses the Vānara chiefs in council, enumerating what is essential versus inessential, with palm-leaf scrolls or gesture-based teaching; the sea and golden ramparts of Laṅkā hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śārdūla
• Kapīndra (Vānara lords)
• Laṅkā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment—knowing the essential (sāra) from the inessential (asāra) before acting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it situates the narrative in Laṅkā within a Purāṇic retelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a time-marker and narrative summary.