Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नमो दीर्घाय शुष्काय कालदृष्टे नमोऽस्तु ते । नमस्ते कोटराक्षाय दुर्निरीक्ष्याय वै नमः

Transliteration

namo dīrghāya śuṣkāya kāladṛṣṭe namo'stu te | namaste koṭarākṣāya durnirīkṣyāya vai namaḥ

Translation

السلام لمن طالَ وجفَّ، يا من كان نظرُه هو الزمانَ نفسه، لك السلام. السلام لك يا غائرَ العينين، عسيرَ التحديق، لك السلام حقًّا.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; विसर्गान्त-निपात (particle/interjection of salutation)

• dīrghāya: to the long/tall one
• dīrghāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śuṣkāya: to the dry/gaunt one
• śuṣkāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kāladṛṣṭe: O time-seen / seen by Time
• kāladṛṣṭe: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √dṛś (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कालेन दृष्टः/कालदृष्टः)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

• astu: may it be
• astu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• koṭarākṣāya: to the hollow-eyed one
• koṭarākṣāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭara (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कोटरं यदक्षि यस्य)

• durnirīkṣyāya: to the hard-to-look-at one
• durnirīkṣyāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + nirīkṣya (कृदन्त; √īkṣ (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुर्निरीक्ष्यः = दुष्करं निरीक्षितुम्)

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

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

Speaker

Narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (deductively: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed Kāla-like being; and the māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tall, withered figure whose very gaze is Time; hollowed eyes that are difficult to look upon. The king continues bowing, emphasizing the paradox of unbearable vision and necessary reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara (Saturn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Facing the ‘hard-to-behold’ truth of impermanence and consequence is itself purifying; devotion trains the mind to endure and transform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, a pilgrimage setting where such hymns are presented as dharmic supports for overcoming affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse is stotra material suitable for recitation.