Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा श्वभ्रमध्यं तं गंभीरं च महामुनिः । चिंतयामास मेधावी श्वभ्रस्यैव प्रपूरणे

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā śvabhramadhyaṃ taṃ gaṃbhīraṃ ca mahāmuniḥ | ciṃtayāmāsa medhāvī śvabhrasyaiva prapūraṇe

Translation

ఆ గంభీరమైన గోతిని చూచి ఆ మహాముని, మేధావి, ఆ శ్వభ్రం ఎలా నింపబడిందో మనసులో ఆలోచించెను।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• śvabhra-madhyam: the middle of the pit
• śvabhra-madhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvabhra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śvabhrasya madhyam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tam: that
• tam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (śvabhra-madhyam इत्यस्य)

• gaṃbhīram: deep
• gaṃbhīram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṃbhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (śvabhra-madhyam इत्यस्य)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• mahā-muniḥ: the great sage
• mahā-muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (mahān muniḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ciṃtayāmāsa: pondered, thought
• ciṃtayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative (णिजन्त)

• medhāvī: intelligent, wise
• medhāvī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (mahāmuniḥ इत्यस्य)

• śvabhrasya: of the pit
• śvabhrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvabhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• prapūraṇe: in/over the filling up
• prapūraṇe: Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-pūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/विषय), एकवचन; भाववाचक

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary mahāmuni stands at the rim of a vast, dark, deep chasm; his posture is contemplative, eyes lowered, hand to chin, with austere forest/rocky surroundings suggesting Arbuda’s rugged terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāmuni
• Śvabhra
• Sarasvatī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A wise person contemplates grace, discerning the unseen divine hand behind visible events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred landscape is again emphasized; the miracle invites recognition of tīrtha-śakti operating in the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights reflective discernment (vicāra) following a divine act.