Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

एवं स्थिते मयाऽस्त्राणि यदि देयानि तेऽनघ । ततोस्थीनि प्रयच्छामि तदाकाराणि सुव्रत

Transliteration

evaṃ sthite mayā'strāṇi yadi deyāni te'nagha | tatosthīni prayacchāmi tadākārāṇi suvrata

Translation

เมื่อเป็นดังนี้ โอ้ผู้ไร้มลทิน! หากอาวุธของข้าพเจ้าจักต้องมอบแก่ท่านจริง โอ้ผู้มีปณิธานประเสริฐ! ข้าพเจ้าจะถวายแม้กระดูกของตน ในรูปแบบเดียวกันนั้น

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this way)

• स्थिते: when (things are) thus
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative absolute), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; ‘स्थिते’ = when (it is) so/when things stand thus

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• अस्त्राणि: weapons (missiles)
• अस्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• देयानि: to be given
• देयानि: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + देय (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधेय/कर्तव्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘to be given’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-नघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/हेतु/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from that)

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रयच्छामि: I give/hand over
• प्रयच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तदाकाराणि: having their form
• तदाकाराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘तद्-आकार’ = having that form; विशेषणम् (अस्थीनि इत्यस्य)

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Muni (Dadhīci, implied by the motif of donating bones for weapons)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great sage declares that if weapons must be given, he will offer his own bones in the very shapes needed—an extreme vow of self-offering before Indra.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Muni (Dadhīci, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme dāna (selfless giving) is upheld as dharma—offering even one’s own body for the protection of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative sits within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, praising the sanctity of Prabhāsa through connected Purāṇic episodes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the ideal of charitable offering (dāna) as a dharmic archetype.