Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । स दूतवचनं श्रुत्वा दानवो मदगर्वितः

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | sa dūtavacanaṃ śrutvā dānavo madagarvitaḥ

Translation

普罗娑底耶说道：那达那婆听罢使者之言，因傲慢而沉醉，(遂作回应)。

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• dūta-vacanam: the messenger’s words
• dūta-vacanam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दूतस्य वचनम्)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• dānavaḥ: the Dānava (demon)
• dānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mada-garvitaḥ: intoxicated with pride
• mada-garvitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mada + garvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √garv)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मदेन गर्वितः)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual kṣetra)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya ṛṣi, seated in a forest āśrama, begins narration; cutaway shows the Dānava hearing the envoy’s message, eyes widening with intoxicated pride.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Dūta (Messenger)
• Dānava (Bāṣkali/Kaliṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When pride becomes ‘mada’, counsel and even divine warning fail to enter the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative framing; the broader setting is Arbuda-khaṇḍa (Mount Arbuda region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.