Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । अहो बत महत्कष्टं सावित्र्या नृपते कृतम् । बालस्वभावादनया गुणवान्सत्यवाग्वृतः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | aho bata mahatkaṣṭaṃ sāvitryā nṛpate kṛtam | bālasvabhāvādanayā guṇavānsatyavāgvṛtaḥ

Translation

นารทฤๅษีกล่าวว่า “อนิจจา! ข้าแต่พระราชา สาวิตรีได้ก่อความลำบากใหญ่หลวงแก่ตน เพราะด้วยธรรมชาติแห่งวัยเยาว์ นางจึงเลือกบุรุษผู้มีคุณธรรมและมั่นในสัจจะ”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (exclamatory particle)

• बत: indeed/alas
• बत: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बत (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/exclamatory particle)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कष्टम् इति)

• कष्टम्: hardship, trouble
• कष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सावित्र्या: by Savitri
• सावित्र्या: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण/कर्तृ-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• नृपते: O king
• नृपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done, committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘कृतम्’ = ‘has been done’

• बालस्वभावात्: from childish nature
• बालस्वभावात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/हेतु; Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘बालस्य स्वभावः’)

• अनया: by her/this woman
• अनया: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण/कर्तृ-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्-प्रातिपदिक (अनया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गुणवान्: virtuous, possessing qualities
• गुणवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सत्यवाक् इति)

• सत्यवाक्: truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (‘सत्यं वाक् यस्य/सत्यं वदति’)

• वृतः: chosen, selected
• वृतः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘chosen/selected’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: नृपति (frame-story king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Nārada, veena in hand, speaks with compassionate gravity to a king; the king listens, troubled, as the sage laments the hardship implied by Savitrī’s choice.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sāvitrī
• Satyavān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even virtuous choices can invite severe trials; dharma often unfolds through testing, not comfort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative framework, lending sacred authority to the moral lesson.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a prophetic/ethical observation setting up the ensuing dharmic ordeal.