Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दुष्प्राप्यमर्थं यत्नेन बहु प्रार्थितवांस्तदा । एतत्सर्वं च कथय मयि यद्यस्ति ते कृपा

Transliteration

duṣprāpyamarthaṃ yatnena bahu prārthitavāṃstadā | etatsarvaṃ ca kathaya mayi yadyasti te kṛpā

Translation

ครั้งนั้นเขาได้เพียรพยายามอย่างยิ่ง และวิงวอนขอทรัพย์อันได้มายากนัก; หากท่านมีเมตตาต่อข้าพเจ้า ก็โปรดเล่าทั้งหมดนี้แก่ข้าพเจ้าเถิด

Word by Word

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to obtain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्-प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √आप्/आपॢ ‘प्राप्तौ’ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण, ‘प्राप्य’ (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक) भावः; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (दुष् + प्राप्य)

• अर्थम्: object/goal
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहु: much, greatly
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणार्थे ‘बहु’ = बहुतरम्)

• प्रार्थितवान्: (he) had requested
• प्रार्थितवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√अर्थ् (धातु) + क्तवतु (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्तवतु-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि भूतकृत्—‘having requested/begged’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘एतत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथय: tell, narrate
• कथय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मयि: to me / in my presence
• मयि: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (अस्मद्-शब्द)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (युष्मद्-शब्द)

• कृपा: compassion, grace
• कृपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa (continues his inquiry)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa, earnest and slightly troubled, requests the full story, invoking Agastya’s compassion; the ashram setting emphasizes humility and the gravity of ‘duṣprāpya artha’.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Viśvāmitra (context)
• Kautsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and earnest questioning invite complete instruction; compassion in teaching is a sacred duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā Māhātmya is the setting, but the verse itself does not praise a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for narration of events concerning difficult-to-obtain wealth and effort.