Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कौतुकाद्वद मे राजन्स्वकार्ये च यथास्थितम् । कैर्विना सुगतिर्नास्ति दुर्गतिं के नयंति च

Transliteration

kautukādvada me rājansvakārye ca yathāsthitam | kairvinā sugatirnāsti durgatiṃ ke nayaṃti ca

Translation

“出于好奇，大王啊，请明白告知我你此事的真实情形：没有谁便无有善趣（sugati），又是谁将人驱入恶趣（durgati）？”

Word by Word

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

• वद: tell/speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• स्वकार्ये: in (your) own duty/affair
• स्वकार्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य कार्यम्)

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

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: as/according to)

• स्थितम्: the state as it stands / what is established
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-भाव

• कैः: by whom/with which (persons)
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/वियोग-अव्यय (preposition: without)

• सुगतिः: good destiny/salvation
• सुगतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुर्गतिम्: bad destiny/ruin
• दुर्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• के: who (people)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नयन्ति: lead (to)
• नयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Unnamed interlocutor addressing King Saudāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa, earnest and curious, questions the king about the forces behind sugati and durgati; the king listens gravely, aware of past consequences.

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa (king)
• Durgati
• Sugati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One should discern the causes of uplift and downfall—knowing which associations and actions lead to sugati versus durgati.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named here; the verse is ethical inquiry within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it sets up a teaching about the role of the twice-born (dvija) and dharmic satisfaction.