Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पार्वत्या षण्मुखस्याग्रे तेन नन्दिगणाय वै । नन्दिना तु कुमाराय तेन व्यासाय धीमते

Transliteration

pārvatyā ṣaṇmukhasyāgre tena nandigaṇāya vai | nandinā tu kumārāya tena vyāsāya dhīmate

Translation

ثم إنّ بارفتي (نقلته) أمام شانموخا ذي الوجوه الستة؛ وهو بدوره علّمه لنانديغَنا. ثم علّمه ناندين لكومارا، وعلّمه كومارا لڤياسا الحكيم.

Word by Word

• पार्वत्या: by Pārvatī
• पार्वत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• षण्मुखस्य: of Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अग्रे: in front (presence)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (pronoun)

• नन्दिगणाय: to the Nandi-gaṇa (attendant of Nandi)
• नन्दिगणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिगण (प्रातिपदिक; नन्दि + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नन्दिना: by Nandin
• नन्दिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• तु: but/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrastive particle)

• कुमाराय: to Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (pronoun)

• व्यासाय: to Vyāsa
• व्यासाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• धीमते: to the wise (one)
• धीमते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular; विशेषण (qualifying व्यासाय)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential ‘garland of teachers’: Pārvatī instructing Ṣaṇmukha, Ṣaṇmukha to Nandin, Nandin to Kumāra, Kumāra to Vyāsa—each handing a manuscript or speaking in teaching gesture, forming a sacred relay.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Ṣaṇmukha
• Skanda
• Nandigaṇa
• Nandin
• Kumāra
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is preserved through a sanctified lineage (guru-paramparā), emphasizing faithful transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised in this verse; it supports the authority of the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya by giving the text’s lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a lineage statement identifying successive transmitters.