Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

गोपनीयं प्रयत्नेन मम वाक्यादसंशयम् । एवमुक्तस्तदा विप्रः स्वयमेवावनिं ययौ

Transliteration

gopanīyaṃ prayatnena mama vākyādasaṃśayam | evamuktastadā vipraḥ svayamevāvaniṃ yayau

Translation

“ตามวาจาของเราโดยไม่ต้องสงสัย จงปกปิดไว้ด้วยความเพียร” ครั้นได้รับคำสั่งดังนั้น พราหมณ์ผู้นั้นก็กลับลงสู่โลกมนุษย์ด้วยตนเอง

Word by Word

• गोपनीयम्: to be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुप् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्/यत्-अर्थक-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be concealed'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वाक्यात्: from (my) statement
• वाक्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: having been told
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (having been told)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• विप्रः: the Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रता-बोधक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अवनिम्: to the earth (world)
• अवनिम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn scene of Dharmarāja’s injunction: a brāhmaṇa receiving a grave, secret instruction, then departing alone toward the earthly realm; atmosphere of restraint and sacred confidentiality.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge about tirthas may be powerful and is to be preserved with discretion and responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction pertains to the Prabhāsa Kṣetra teaching just given, especially the Narakeśvara-related secret.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a directive about guarding (gopanīya) a confidential teaching.