Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ततोऽश्विनौ प्रहस्यैनामब्रूतां पुनरेव तु । कथं त्वं च विदित्वा तु पित्रा दत्ताऽगता वने

Transliteration

tato'śvinau prahasyaināmabrūtāṃ punareva tu | kathaṃ tvaṃ ca viditvā tu pitrā dattā'gatā vane

Translation

అప్పుడు అశ్వినులు చిరునవ్వుతో ఆమెను మళ్లీ ఇలా అడిగారు—“తెలుసుకొని కూడా నిన్ను తండ్రి ఎలా ఇచ్చాడు? నీవు అడవిలోకి వచ్చి ఎలా నివసిస్తున్నావు?”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• aśvinau: the Aśvins
• aśvinau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• prahasya: having laughed
• prahasya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-has (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (Gerund)

• enām: her
• enām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• abrūtām: (they two) said
• abrūtām: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद

• punar: again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again)

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

• tu: but/and then
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (how?)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• viditvā: having known/understood
• viditvā: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभाव (Gerund)

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अन्वयार्थक

• pitrā: by (your) father
• pitrā: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• dattā: given (in marriage)
• dattā: Karta (Subject; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• agatā: come
• agatā: Karta (Subject; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Aśvinau

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Aśvins smile and question Sukanyā’s circumstances—why her father gave her to an ascetic and why she lives in the forest; their demeanor is charming yet probing.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau
• Sukanyā
• Śaryāti (implied as father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames a social and moral challenge—testing whether one values dharma and vows over comfort and status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the sacred backdrop where Cyavana’s story unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.