Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य सुता राजन्दाशकन्यासखी शुभा । दुःखेन महताविष्टा दाश्यंतिकमुपाद्रवत्

Transliteration

atha tasya sutā rājandāśakanyāsakhī śubhā | duḥkhena mahatāviṣṭā dāśyaṃtikamupādravat

Translation

Pagkaraan, O Hari, ang kanyang anak na babae—isang mapalad na dalaga at matalik na kaibigan ng dalagang mangingisda—ay nabalot ng matinding dalamhati at nagmadaling tumungo sa tahanan ng dalagang mangingisda.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रमसूचक-निपात

• तस्य: of him; his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दाशकन्यासखी: a friend of a fisherman's daughter
• दाशकन्यासखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाश + कन्या + सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तस्याः विशेषणवत् (appositional)

• शुभा: auspicious; good
• शुभा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier) सुता-सम्बद्धम्

• दुःखेन: with sorrow; due to grief
• दुःखेन: Karana (Cause/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महतā: great
• महतā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् दुःखेन-सम्बद्धम्

• आविष्टा: overcome; possessed
• आविष्टा: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सुता-सम्बद्धम्

• दाश्यंतिकम्: to the fisherfolk settlement/near the fishermen (dāśa)
• दाश्यंतिकम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाश्यन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपाद्रवत्: ran up; hastened
• उपाद्रवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Pulastya (narration context begins explicitly in v.12; verses 4–11 are continuous narrative within Pulastya’s telling)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (frame) / local settlement near tīrtha waters

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as 'rājan' within the story-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden rushes through a settlement toward a fisher-girl’s hut near water; her ornaments slightly disheveled from haste; the fisher quarter shows nets, boats, and a humble doorway—compassionate urgency in her face.

Characters & Entities

• rājan (the king)
• sutā (the king’s daughter)
• dāśakanyā (fisher-girl friend)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In distress one should seek wise counsel and timely help, setting the stage for dharmic resolution rather than panic.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda (Arbudācala), where a sacred water-source will be praised for its purifying, transformative power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the approach to a helper who will describe a purifying water practice.