Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

बृहस्पतिर्यदाचष्टे न तद्वाच्यं मया तव । इंद्राणी बलिनं मत्वा बलिं चित्रेषु पश्यति

Transliteration

bṛhaspatiryadācaṣṭe na tadvācyaṃ mayā tava | iṃdrāṇī balinaṃ matvā baliṃ citreṣu paśyati

Translation

ถ้อยคำที่พระพฤหัสบดีประกาศนั้น ข้าพเจ้าไม่ควรกล่าวแก่ท่าน อินทราณีเห็นว่าพระพลีทรงมหาฤทธิ์ จึงเพ่งมองพระพลีในภาพวาดทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• बृहस्पतिः: Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-vishesana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आचष्टे: declares/says
• आचष्टे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वाच्यम्: should be spoken
• वाच्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be spoken'

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: to you/of you
• तव: Sampradana/Sambandha (To you/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• इंद्राणी: Indrāṇī
• इंद्राणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इंद्राणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बलिनम्: the strong one
• बलिनम्: Karma (Object of 'matvā'/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), 'having thought/considered'

• बलिम्: Bali
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चित्रेषु: in the pictures/paintings
• चित्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: narrative voice continuing the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indrāṇī in a palace chamber gazes at painted portraits of Bali; a tense hush as a speaker refuses to disclose Bṛhaspati’s words.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• Indrāṇī (Śacī)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wise counsel may require discretion; fascination with power (even as mere images) can disturb discernment and peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa), where exemplary stories amplify the kṣetra’s sacred authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is given in this verse.