Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

एते च वांछते नित्यं तक्षको द्विज कुण्डले । स तथेति समादाय विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः । कौतुकात्पुनरागत्य राजानं वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

ete ca vāṃchate nityaṃ takṣako dvija kuṇḍale | sa tatheti samādāya vismayotphullalocanaḥ | kautukātpunarāgatya rājānaṃ vākyamabravīt

Translation

“婆罗门啊，龙蛇王多叉迦恒常渴求这对耳环。”他答道“如是”，便将其收起，惊异得双目圆睁。随后因好奇，他又返回，对国王说道如下之言。

Word by Word

• एते: these (persons)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• वाञ्छते: desires
• वाञ्छते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• तक्षकः: Takṣaka (the serpent)
• तक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• कुण्डले: the two earrings
• कुण्डले: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• समादाय: having taken up
• समादाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः: whose eyes were wide with wonder
• विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + उत्फुल्ल + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य लोचने विस्मयेन उत्फुल्ले’

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• आगत्य: having come back
• आगत्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said/told
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator); direct speech by an unnamed messenger/agent to the king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa holds radiant earrings; his eyes widen in astonishment as he realizes Takṣaka’s desire for them; he turns back toward the king’s court to report.

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka
• Uttaṅka
• Saudāsa (king)
• Kuṇḍala (earrings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire and fate operate through unexpected agents; vigilance and discernment are essential in dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; the immediate verse is narrative and does not directly praise a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse.