Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

वामन उवाच । महर्षे शृणु मे वाक्यं का शक्तिर्मम विद्यते । कोऽहं कस्मात्करिष्यामि यज्ञे देवाः समागताः

Transliteration

vāmana uvāca | maharṣe śṛṇu me vākyaṃ kā śaktirmama vidyate | ko'haṃ kasmātkariṣyāmi yajñe devāḥ samāgatāḥ

Translation

วามนะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่มหาฤๅษี โปรดสดับถ้อยคำของข้า ข้ามีพลังอันใดเล่า? ข้าเป็นผู้ใด และจะทำสิ่งใดได้ในยัญพิธีนี้—เมื่อเหล่าเทพยดาทั้งหลายมาชุมนุมกันแล้ว?”

Word by Word

• vāmanaḥ: Vāmana
• vāmanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धा॒तु; वचने)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• maharṣe: O great sage
• maharṣe: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/संबोधन), एकवचन

• śṛṇu: hear, listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धा॒tu; श्रवणे)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vākyam: statement, words
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• kā: what? which?
• kā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• śaktiḥ: power, ability
• śaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mama: of me, my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vidyate: exists, is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धा॒तु; सत्तायाम्/लाभे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kasmāt: from what? why?
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• kariṣyāmi: shall I do
• kariṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धा॒तु; करणे)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yajñe: in the sacrifice
• yajñe: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• samāgatāḥ: have assembled
• samāgatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (धा॒तु; गमने)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — “assembled/come together” (elliptic ‘santi’)

Speaker

Vāmana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārṣi (addressed as maharṣe)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana, modest and composed, addresses a great sage amid a grand yajña where devas are visibly present; his posture conveys humility despite divine aura.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Deva
• Yajña
• Maharṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine figures model humility; true resolution in dharma arises from right counsel and cosmic order, not ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa, the sacred setting for a yajña where gods assemble and dharmic dilemmas are resolved.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it situates the event within a yajña attended by devas, emphasizing the rite’s sanctity.