Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु शर्याति र्वल्मीकं क्षिप्रमभ्यगात् । तत्रापश्यत्तपोवृद्धं वयोवृद्धं च भार्गवम्

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu śaryāti rvalmīkaṃ kṣipramabhyagāt | tatrāpaśyattapovṛddhaṃ vayovṛddhaṃ ca bhārgavam

Translation

ครั้นได้ฟังดังนั้น ศรยาติรีบไปยังจอมปลวกโดยพลัน ที่นั่นพระองค์ได้เห็นภารควะ ผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ด้วยตบะและชราด้วยวัย

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having heard’

• तु: then, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle)

• शर्यातिः: Śaryāti (king)
• शर्यातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• वल्मीकम्: to the anthill (Valmīka)
• वल्मीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; अव्यय (adverb)

• अभ्यगात्: approached, went
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘went/approached’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (adverb of place)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘saw’

• तपः-वृद्धम्: advanced in austerity
• तपः-वृद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तपसः वृद्धः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying ‘bhārgavam’

• वयः-वृद्धम्: advanced in age
• वयः-वृद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वयसः वृद्धः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• भार्गवम्: the Bhārgava (Cyavana)
• भार्गवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator voice within the Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Valmīka-sthāna (Bhārgava-darśana) within Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaryāti rushes to the anthill and beholds an aged Bhārgava ascetic—weathered, radiant with austerity—emerging or visible at the valmīka, the king’s posture shifting from authority to reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śaryāti
• Cyavana (Bhārgava, implied)
• valmīka (anthill)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True power is tapas-born spiritual stature; rulers must honor ascetics and approach them with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya’s sacred setting; the verse focuses on meeting the ṛṣi rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Śaryāti’s immediate approach to the sage.