Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ततः स पृथिवीपालः साम्ना चोग्रेण च स्वयम् । पर्यपृच्छत्सुहृद्वर्गं प्रत्यजानन्न चैव ते

Transliteration

tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālaḥ sāmnā cogreṇa ca svayam | paryapṛcchatsuhṛdvargaṃ pratyajānanna caiva te

Translation

پھر زمین کے نگہبان بادشاہ نے کبھی نرمی اور کبھی سختی کے ساتھ خود اپنے رفقا کے حلقے سے بازپرس کی؛ مگر انہوں نے اس بات کو بالکل تسلیم نہ کیا۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• pṛthivī-pālaḥ: the ruler of the earth (king)
• pṛthivī-pālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पृथिव्याः पालः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• sāmnā: by conciliation
• sāmnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; 'by conciliation'

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• ugreṇa: by harshness/force
• ugreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; 'by severity/force'

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Adverbial (Agent-emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वार्थे)

• paryapṛcchat: questioned, inquired
• paryapṛcchat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√prach (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• suhṛt-vargam: the group of friends/allies
• suhṛt-vargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुहृदां वर्गः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• pratyajānān: answering (him)
• pratyajānān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√jñā (धातु) → pratyajānāna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; 'answering/acknowledging' (agreeing)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; 'they'

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator voice within the Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king (Śaryāti) alternates gentle and stern questioning of his trusted companions in a tight circle, faces averted, no one admitting fault; the atmosphere is controlled but tense.

Characters & Entities

• pṛthivīpāla (king)
• suhṛdvarga (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership requires discernment: even gentle and stern questioning may fail when truth is concealed, prompting a deeper search for dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), though this verse itself is narrative setup rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it focuses on the king’s inquiry and the companions’ silence.