Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

बल्यर्थं हि पितुश्चाहं पुष्पाण्याहर्तुमागता । आहरंत्याश्च पुष्पाणि याम एको न्यवर्तत

Transliteration

balyarthaṃ hi pituścāhaṃ puṣpāṇyāhartumāgatā | āharaṃtyāśca puṣpāṇi yāma eko nyavartata

Translation

แท้จริงข้ามาเพื่อเก็บดอกไม้สำหรับบูชาบลีของบิดา แต่ขณะเก็บดอกไม้อยู่นั้น เวลาหนึ่งยามก็ล่วงไปแล้ว

Word by Word

• बल्यर्थम्: for offering (bali)
• बल्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि+अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (उद्देश्य/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आहर्तुम्: to bring
• आहर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक

• आगता: having come
• आगता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग

• आहरन्त्याः: of (me) while bringing
• आहरन्त्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यामे: at a watch/period (of time)
• यामे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कोऽपि/कश्चित्)

• न्यवर्तत: turned back/returned
• न्यवर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Kāṃtimatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The maiden in a flowering grove gathers blossoms into her basket; sunlight filters through leaves; a subtle sense of time passing (shadow shift) underscores her concern.

Characters & Entities

• Kāṃtimatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual duty is to be performed with timeliness and care, and even small delays can create anxiety when one is responsible for sacred service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Rāma-setu/Rāmeśvaram sacred geography) forms the narrative backdrop, though the verse highlights āśrama worship practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Collecting flowers for bali—an offering made as part of worship/propitiation in an āśrama setting.