Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो वर्षसहस्रांते केतकीं सोऽप्यपश्यत । आयांतीं व्योममार्गेण तया पृष्टश्चतुर्मुखः

Transliteration

tato varṣasahasrāṃte ketakīṃ so'pyapaśyata | āyāṃtīṃ vyomamārgeṇa tayā pṛṣṭaścaturmukhaḥ

Translation

ครั้นเมื่อครบพันปีนั้น เขาเห็นดอกเกตกีลอยมาตามทางนภา; และนางได้ซักถามพระพรหมผู้มีสี่พักตร์

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Desha (Time/Place adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘then/from there’)

• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: at the end of a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षसहस्रस्य अन्तः)

• केतकीम्: the ketakī flower/plant
• केतकीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• अपश्यत: saw
• अपश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आयान्तीम्: coming
• आयान्तीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + या (धातु) → आयान्ती (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; केतकीम् इति विशेषणम्

• व्योममार्गेण: by the sky-path
• व्योममार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Path/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योम + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तया: by her
• तया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense: ‘was asked’)

• चतुर्मुखः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखः: Karta/Patient (Subject of passive/कर्ता-स्थानी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य चत्वारि मुखानि सः)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ananta-liṅga narrative locus (Arbuda frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After ages of ascent, Brahmā sees a drifting Ketakī blossom descending along the sky-route; he addresses her, seeking a witness to the unreachable summit, while the endless flame-pillar looms beside them.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturmukha)
• Ketakī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Signs and witnesses may appear on the spiritual path, but truth cannot be manufactured; the narrative prepares for discernment about testimony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya framework continues; the verse is mythic-cosmological rather than topographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces Ketakī as a narrative agent in the liṅga episode.