Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । कर्त्तव्यं जाह्नवि श्रेयः पुरो गत्वा नगात्मजाम् । अत्यर्थं मानिनी ह्येषा साम्ना च वशवर्तिनी

Transliteration

śrīmahādeva uvāca | karttavyaṃ jāhnavi śreyaḥ puro gatvā nagātmajām | atyarthaṃ māninī hyeṣā sāmnā ca vaśavartinī

Translation

శ్రీమహాదేవుడు పలికెను—ఓ జాహ్నవీ, నీవు ముందుగా వెళ్లి పర్వతకన్య (పార్వతి)ని సమీపించుట శ్రేయస్కరం. ఆమె అత్యంత మానిని; కాని మృదువైన సామంతో వశమగును.

Word by Word

• śrī-mahādevaḥ: Śrī Mahādeva
• śrī-mahādevaḥ: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/उपपद-समास (honorific ‘Śrī’ + name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• karttavyam: (it) should be done
• karttavyam: Kriya (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्) कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be done)

• jāhnavi: O Jāhnavī
• jāhnavi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāhnavī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• śreyaḥ: what is best, the good course
• śreyaḥ: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘better/good’ (used as predicate/goal)

• puraḥ: in front, ahead
• puraḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puraḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/दिशावाचक (in front, beforehand)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √gam (गम्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having gone)

• nagātmajām: the mountain’s daughter (Pārvatī)
• nagātmajām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nagasya ātmajā = daughter of the mountain)

• atyartham: exceedingly
• atyartham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atyartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक (intensifier adverb)

• māninī: proud, offended
• māninī: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māninī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (proud/resentful)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• eṣā: this (woman), she
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sāmnā: by conciliation
• sāmnā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘conciliation/soothing words’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• vaśa-vartinī: amenable, controllable
• vaśa-vartinī: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + vartinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (vaśe vartinī = one who is under control)

Speaker

Śiva (Śrī Mahādeva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahādeva instructs Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) to go ahead and gently pacify Pārvatī, emphasizing her self-respect and susceptibility to soft conciliation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Pārvatī (Nagātmajā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma often succeeds through humility and gentle conciliation—especially when approaching the Devī, who embodies honor and dignity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting associated with sacred Arbuda/Abu-region narratives; this verse itself is more about divine etiquette than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the ‘practice’ taught is sāman—pacifying speech and respectful conduct.