Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अलं क्लेशेन ते सांब किमर्थं तप्यसे तपः । प्रसन्नोऽहं हरेः सूनो वरं वरय सुव्रत

Transliteration

alaṃ kleśena te sāṃba kimarthaṃ tapyase tapaḥ | prasanno'haṃ hareḥ sūno varaṃ varaya suvrata

Translation

كفى عليك المشقّة يا سامبا؛ لِمَ تُعذّب نفسك بالزُّهد والتقشّف؟ لقد رضيتُ عنك يا ابن هري؛ فاختر نعمةً تُمنَح، يا صاحب النذر الحسن.

Word by Word

• अलम्: enough
• अलम्: Sambodhana-prayoga (Interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पर्याप्त्यर्थ/निषेधार्थ निपात (enough; stop)

• क्लेशेन: with hardship
• क्लेशेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: 'with/by hardship')

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dative enclitic)

• सांब: O Sāmba
• सांब: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• किमर्थम्: why / for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Interrogative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्राय प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (for what reason?)

• तप्यसे: do you perform austerity / do you suffer
• तप्यसे: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सूनो: O son
• सूनो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरय: choose / ask for
• वरय: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) (वरयति-रूप)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु-व्रतः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūrya (implied, addressing Sāmba)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divākara addresses Sāmba with compassionate authority, halting his austerities and inviting him to choose a boon as the son of Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Sāmba
• Hari (Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion and austerity mature, divine grace responds—one should ask for dharmic, welfare-giving boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is referenced; the verse culminates in the deity inviting the devotee to request a boon.