Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

कथमेषा समुत्पन्ना कस्येदं कर्मणः फलम् । अस्यां केन प्रकारेण वचनं मानुषं भवेत्

Transliteration

kathameṣā samutpannā kasyedaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam | asyāṃ kena prakāreṇa vacanaṃ mānuṣaṃ bhavet

Translation

«كيف نشأت هي، ولِمَن يكون هذا ثمرةَ عملٍ (كارما)؟ وبأي وسيلة يمكن أن تتجلّى فيها كلمةُ البشر؟»

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एषा: this (she/this thing)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुत्पन्ना: arisen, originated
• समुत्पन्ना: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-पद् (धातु) → समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्य: of whom/which
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc./Neut.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मणः: of the deed/action
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्याम्: in this (matter/her)
• अस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• केन: by what / with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc./Neut.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकारेण: by what manner
• प्रकारेण: Karana (Manner/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: might be / could become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of questioning faces in an assembly; a mysterious doe/figure implied off-frame; the speaker’s hand raised in inquiry about her origin and karmic fruit.

Characters & Entities

• karma
• phala
• eṣā (female subject)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary events are interpreted through karma-phala: moral causality is a key Purāṇic lens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The questions arise within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya set in the Prabhāsa sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal inquiry into cause, merit, and miraculous manifestation.