Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यान्युक्तानि वचांसीत्थं त्वया बालेन सांप्रतम् । तेषां त्वं हेतुसंयुक्तं शृणु प्रत्युत्तरं मम

Transliteration

yānyuktāni vacāṃsītthaṃ tvayā bālena sāṃpratam | teṣāṃ tvaṃ hetusaṃyuktaṃ śṛṇu pratyuttaraṃ mama

Translation

ดูก่อนเด็กน้อย ถ้อยคำที่เจ้ากล่าวเมื่อครู่นี้เช่นนั้น บัดนี้จงฟังคำตอบของเรา—อันประกอบด้วยเหตุผลและมั่นคง

Word by Word

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सम्बन्धक)

• उक्तानि: spoken, said
• उक्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (वचांसि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• वचांसि: words
• वचांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this way)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बालेन: by a child / by the young one
• बालेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कर्तृवाचक-विशेषणार्थे)

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at present/now)

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हेतुसंयुक्तम्: reasoned, with proper cause
• हेतुसंयुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (सम्+युज्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हेतुना संयुक्तम् = ‘connected with reason’)

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रत्युत्तरम्: reply, response
• प्रत्युत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति (उपसर्ग) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (प्रति + उत्तर = ‘in reply’)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Janārdana / Trivikrama (Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janārdana addresses Bali’s son as ‘child’ and invites him to hear a reasoned rebuttal—teacher and student posture, with the court quieting into instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Bāṇa
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not arbitrary: the Lord’s guidance is presented as coherent, reasoned instruction meant to remove doubt.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra within the Prabhāsa region is the māhātmya context framing this theological dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces a doctrinal response rather than a ritual command.