Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

सुनामोवाच । स्नात्वा गच्छतु विप्रोऽसौ वासुदेवसमन्वितः । राजन्वृथा विग्रहेण किं कार्यं कथयस्व नः

Transliteration

sunāmovāca | snātvā gacchatu vipro'sau vāsudevasamanvitaḥ | rājanvṛthā vigraheṇa kiṃ kāryaṃ kathayasva naḥ

Translation

苏那摩说道：“让那位婆罗门沐浴后离去，由婆苏提婆相伴护持。大王啊，无谓争斗有何所益？请告知我们。”

Word by Word

• सुनाम: Sunāma (proper name)
• सुनाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• गच्छतु: let (him) go
• गच्छतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that (man), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• वासुदेव-समन्वितः: accompanied by Vāsudeva
• वासुदेव-समन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; सम्+अन्वि/इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वासुदेवेन समन्वितः)

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

• वृथा: in vain, uselessly
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विग्रहेण: by quarrel/fight
• विग्रहेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कार्यम्: purpose, need
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातु से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• कथयस्व: tell (me/us)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; causative of कथ्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: to us / our
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

Speaker

Sunāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunāma, a counselor-figure, addresses the king: allow the brāhmaṇa to bathe and depart with Vāsudeva; the scene shows a calm hand gesture halting warriors.

Characters & Entities

• Sunāma
• Brāhmaṇa (Vipra)
• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wise counsel urges restraint: do not create needless conflict, especially when a brāhmaṇa’s tīrtha-rite is protected by Vāsudeva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The implied setting is the Gomati-saṅgama tīrtha within the Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) for the brāhmaṇa, and allowing the rite to proceed unhindered.