Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

त्वत्पत्नी किमिदं कर्म फलेन संप्रवर्तते । तच्छ्रुत्वा दीक्षितो वाचं शिखी मुंडी मृगाजिनी

Transliteration

tvatpatnī kimidaṃ karma phalena saṃpravartate | tacchrutvā dīkṣito vācaṃ śikhī muṃḍī mṛgājinī

Translation

“Ang iyong asawa, bakit ganito ang ginagawa—anong bunga ang magmumula rito?” Nang marinig iyon, ang nakapagdīkṣā—may śikhā na tuktok-buhok, ahit ang ulo, at nakabalot sa balat ng usa—ay tumugon.

Word by Word

• tvat: your
• tvat: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-रूप; (सम्बन्ध/possessive)

• patnī: wife
• patnī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kim: what
• kim: Visheshya (Interrogative determiner/विशेष्य-प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)

• karma: act; deed
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• phalena: by/with the fruit (result)
• phalena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃpravartate: proceeds; comes about
• saṃpravartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु) + saṃ-pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable usage)

• dīkṣitaḥ: the initiated one
• dīkṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣita (प्रातिपदिक; √dīkṣ (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vācam: speech; words
• vācam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• śikhī: one with a tuft/crest (śikhā)
• śikhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• muṃḍī: shaven-headed one
• muṃḍī: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṇḍin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mṛgājinī: wearing a deer-skin
• mṛgājinī: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga-ajina (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); (मृगस्य अजिनम् = deer-skin)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; traditionally Sūta addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (text audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reproach is voiced about the wife’s conduct and its fruit; the consecrated figure is depicted with śikhā, shaven head, and deer-skin—an intense ritual persona poised to respond, suggesting a turning point toward stern action.

Characters & Entities

• Dīkṣita
• Yajña-dīkṣā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions during consecrated ritual time are weighed by their karmic and ritual consequences; dīkṣā demands disciplined focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The events belong to the Prabhāsa-kṣetra yajña narrative, reinforcing the sanctity of the locale through ritual detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Description of dīkṣita observances and insignia—tuft/shaven head and deer-skin—signaling consecration discipline for yajña.