Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पत्यर्थं देवगर्भाभे मा वृथा यौवनं कृथाः । एवमुक्ता सुकन्या सा सुरौ ताविदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

patyarthaṃ devagarbhābhe mā vṛthā yauvanaṃ kṛthāḥ | evamuktā sukanyā sā surau tāvidamabravīt

Translation

โอ้กุมารีผู้รุ่งเรืองดุจครรภ์แห่งเทพ อย่าให้วัยเยาว์ของเจ้าสูญเปล่าเพราะเหตุแห่งสามี ครั้นถูกกล่าวดังนี้ สุคนยาได้เอ่ยถ้อยคำต่อเทพทั้งสอง

Word by Word

• पति-अर्थम्: for a husband (for marriage)
• पति-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (पत्यर्थम् = पतेः अर्थाय/हेतोः)

• देव-गर्भ-आभे: O one radiant like a divine embryo (very luminous)
• देव-गर्भ-आभे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा/आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (देवगर्भ इव आभा यस्याः सा)

• मा: do not
• मा: Nishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रतिषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (prohibitive particle)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: in vain)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• कृथाः: make/spend
• कृथाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थः/imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; मा + लोट् = निषेधाज्ञा

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (thus)

• उक्ता: having been spoken to
• उक्ता: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• सुकन्या: Sukanyā
• सुकन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सुरौ: the two gods
• सुरौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचनम्

• तौ: those two (them)
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), द्विवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this (speech)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूतकालः/imperf.), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas urge Sukanyā not to waste her youth; Sukanyā prepares to answer—her face calm, eyes steady, posture dignified—while the aged sage remains in ascetic stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Sukanyā
• Aśvinīkumāras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is tested through persuasive speech; the verse introduces Sukanyā’s impending dharmic response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, the sacred landscape framing this episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it transitions from the gods’ counsel to Sukanyā’s reply.