Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सा समीक्ष्य तु तान्सर्वांस्तुल्यरूपधरान्स्थितान् । निश्चित्य मनसा बुद्ध्या देवि वव्रे पतिं स्वकम्

Transliteration

sā samīkṣya tu tānsarvāṃstulyarūpadharānsthitān | niścitya manasā buddhyā devi vavre patiṃ svakam

Translation

她端详众人，见他们立于前，形貌皆同。于是那位高贵的女子以心与明慧作决断，选定了自己的夫君。

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• samīkṣya: having observed
• samīkṣya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-√īkṣ (ईक्ष् धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थक अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having looked’

• tu: then/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-निपात (particle): ‘but/indeed’

• tān: those (men)
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• tulya-rūpa-dharān: bearing equal forms
• tulya-rūpa-dharān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya + rūpa + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (rūpaṃ dharanti) with tulya ‘equal’

• sthitān: standing (there)
• sthitān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• niścitya: having decided
• niścitya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-√ci (चि धातु, ‘determine’) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having decided’

• manasā: with (her) mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• buddhyā: with (her) intellect
• buddhyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• devi: O goddess/lady
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• vavre: chose
• vavre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृ धातु, ‘choose’)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• svakam: her own
• svakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (context: Īśvara uvāca / Skanda Purāṇa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The lady surveys a line of identical radiant figures; her face shows calm concentration; she then steps forward to garland her true husband, signaling discernment beyond appearances.

Characters & Entities

• Sukanyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True choice is guided by buddhi (discernment), not merely by outward appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as part of the Cyavaneśvara Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is narrative and ethical (decision-making).