Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

मौनीभूतास्तु शृण्वानाः सर्वेषां वदतां गिरः । अध्वर्युणा समाहूता नागता वरवर्णिनी

Transliteration

maunībhūtāstu śṛṇvānāḥ sarveṣāṃ vadatāṃ giraḥ | adhvaryuṇā samāhūtā nāgatā varavarṇinī

Translation

พวกเขานิ่งเงียบลง ฟังถ้อยเสียงของผู้กล่าวทั้งหลาย แม้ปุโรหิตอัธวรรยุจะเรียกเชิญ นางผู้เลอโฉมผิวพรรณงามนั้นก็มิได้มา

Word by Word

• मौनीभूताः: having become silent
• मौनीभूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मौनी-भूत (प्रातिपदिक; मौनी + भूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; भूत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय, √भू) विशेषणरूपेण

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/पदपूरक-अव्ययम् (particle; 'but/indeed')

• शृण्वानाः: listening
• शृण्वानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), बहुवचनम्

• वदताम्: of those speaking
• वदताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle)

• गिरः: words/speeches
• गिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम्

• अध्वर्युणा: by the adhvaryu priest
• अध्वर्युणा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• समाहूताः: having been summoned
• समाहूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√ह्वा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle)

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

• आगताः: come/arrived
• आगताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past participle)

• वरवर्णिनी: the beautiful-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर-वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक; वर + वर्णिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (epithet)

Speaker

Sūta (narration; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar with priests and devas gathered; the Adhvaryu gestures toward an entrance, calling; everyone falls into a heavy silence; the ‘varavarṇinī’ (beautiful lady) does not appear, leaving an empty threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Adhvaryu (yajña priest)
• Varavarṇinī (the beautiful lady; contextually Sāvitrī/consort figure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a correctly arranged ritual can face obstacles; dharma requires patience, clarity, and right resolution when rites are delayed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the setting for the yajña and its ritual tension.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references the Adhvaryu’s function of summoning/organizing yajña actions, but does not prescribe a specific rite.