Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

निगुर्णेष्वपि पुत्रेषु न माता निर्गुणा भवेत् । पादस्ते पततां पुत्र कथमेतत्तयोदितम्

Transliteration

nigurṇeṣvapi putreṣu na mātā nirguṇā bhavet | pādaste patatāṃ putra kathametattayoditam

Translation

แม้บุตรจะไร้คุณความดี มารดาก็มิควรไร้ธรรม “ขอให้เท้าของเจ้าตกลงเถิด ลูกเอ๋ย” นางจะกล่าวเช่นนั้นได้อย่างไร

Word by Word

• निगुणेषु: in (those) without qualities
• निगुणेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: even/also)

• पुत्रेषु: in sons
• पुत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• निर्गुणा: without qualities
• निर्गुणा: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (माता-विशेषणम्)

• भवेत्: would be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पादः: foot
• पादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• पतताम्: of those who are falling
• पतताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘पतत्’ (falling)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb: how)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/Locative), द्विवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• उदितम्: said/uttered
• उदितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+वद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘उदित’ = उक्तम्

Speaker

Sūrya (deduced as the father addressing Yama; the verse is paternal counsel)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder (father/authority) admonishes: a mother should not speak cruelly; the son stands with lowered head; the mother appears conflicted, anger cooling into regret.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Yama
• Chāyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by virtue, not by circumstance; parental roles carry ethical standards even amid conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This counsel appears within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative of the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is moral instruction within the māhātmya कथा.