Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

विप्रा ऊचुः । ईश्वराज्ञा वृथा कर्तुं न शक्या परमात्मनः । तपोऽग्निहोत्रनिष्ठानां वेदाध्ययनशालिनाम्

Transliteration

viprā ūcuḥ | īśvarājñā vṛthā kartuṃ na śakyā paramātmanaḥ | tapo'gnihotraniṣṭhānāṃ vedādhyayanaśālinām

Translation

พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่ปรมาตมัน พระบัญชาของพระอิศวรย่อมทำให้สูญเปล่าไม่ได้ พวกเรามั่นคงในตบะและพิธีอัคนิโหตระ และทรงวินัยในการศึกษาพระเวท”

Word by Word

• विप्राः: the brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः-लिट् (Perfect), पुरुषः-प्रथम, वचनम्-बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ईश्वराज्ञा: the Lord’s command
• ईश्वराज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः-षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘ईश्वरस्य आज्ञा’); लिङ्गम्-स्त्रीलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-एकवचन

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘in vain/fruitlessly’)

• कर्तुम्: to do (make)
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्तः-तुमुनन्त (infinitive); अर्थः-कर्तव्य/उद्देश्य (to do/make)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध

• शक्या: possible
• शक्या: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु) → शक्य (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: कृदन्तः-यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (potential/passive adjective: ‘possible’); लिङ्गम्-स्त्रीलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा, वचनम्-एकवचन; ‘ईश्वराज्ञा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• परमात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-षष्ठी (6th/genitive), वचनम्-एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लिङ्गम्-नपुंसक, विभक्तिः-प्रथमा (समास-पूर्वपद-रूपम्), वचनम्-एकवचन

• अग्निहोत्रनिष्ठानाम्: of those devoted to the agnihotra
• अग्निहोत्रनिष्ठानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive plural descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘agnihotra-niṣṭhā’ = devoted to agnihotra); लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-षष्ठी, वचनम्-बहुवचन; ‘...शालिनाम्’ इत्यनेन सह समानाधिकरण-षष्ठी (of those who are...)

• वेदाध्ययनशालिनाम्: of those learned in Vedic study
• वेदाध्ययनशालिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive plural descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक) + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः-तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘possessing/engaged in Veda-study’); लिङ्गम्-पुंलिङ्ग, विभक्तिः-षष्ठी, वचनम्-बहुवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Paramātman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of austere brāhmaṇas, with matted hair and sacred threads, stand in reverence near a coastal tīrtha; a small agnihotra fire burns, Vedic manuscripts in hand, as they speak of the Lord’s unbreakable command.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Īśvara (Lord)
• Paramātman
• Agnihotra
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma begins with alignment to Īśvara’s will, upheld by tapas, daily rites, and faithful Vedic learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is spoken within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra narrative (Uṇṇata/Nagnahara), though the verse emphasizes dharma rather than a named sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra is referenced as a brāhmaṇical daily fire-offering, along with austerity and Vedic study as core disciplines.