Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विधिना केन दृश्योसौ यात्रा कार्या कथं नृभिः । कस्मिन्काले महादेव नियमाश्चैव कीदृशाः

Transliteration

vidhinā kena dṛśyosau yātrā kāryā kathaṃ nṛbhiḥ | kasminkāle mahādeva niyamāścaiva kīdṛśāḥ

Translation

بأيّ طريقةٍ وطقسٍ ينبغي أن يُزار ذاك الربّ ويُشاهَد؟ وكيف يقوم الناس بالحجّ (يَاترا)؟ وفي أيّ زمانٍ، يا مهاديڤا، وما نوع النِّياما (الانضباطات والعهود) التي يجب التزامها؟

Word by Word

• विधिना: by what procedure; by what rule
• विधिना: Karana (Means/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• केन: by which? by what?
• केन: Karana (Interrogative means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Interrogative pronoun; Instrumental Singular)

• दृश्यः: to be seen; should be visited
• दृश्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृश्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine Nom. Sing.)

• असौ: that (one/thing)
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Demonstrative pronoun; Masculine Nom. Sing.)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage; journey
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• कार्या: to be done; should be performed
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine Nom. Sing.); विशेषणम् (यात्रा)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Visheshana (Adverbial interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• नृभिः: by men; by people
• नृभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• कस्मिन्: in which? at what?
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Interrogative; Locative Singular)

• काले: time; season
• काले: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative Singular)

• नियमाः: rules; observances
• नियमाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

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

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Visheshana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कीदृशाः: of what kind? what sort?
• कीदृशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); विशेषणम् (नियमाः)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks a threefold practical question: procedure of darśana, manner of yātrā, and the proper time and disciplines—depictable as a didactic moment with Śiva poised to instruct.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Somanātha
• Yātrā
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as disciplined dharma: correct time, correct method, and inner restraint are integral to sacred travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha in Prabhāsakṣetra, approached through the question of proper darśana and yātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for prescriptions—procedure (vidhi), timing (kāla), and observances (niyama)—which are answered in subsequent verses.