Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

षोडशैते मया प्रश्नाः पृष्टा मे निर्णयं वद

Transliteration

ṣoḍaśaite mayā praśnāḥ pṛṣṭā me nirṇayaṃ vada

Translation

«لقد سألتُ هذه الأسئلة الستةَ عشر؛ فقلْ لي الحكمَ الفاصلَ فيها.»

Word by Word

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्याविशेषणम्; प्रथमा-बहुवचन-विशेषणरूपेण ‘एते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Instrumental singular ‘by me’)

• प्रश्नाः: questions
• प्रश्नाः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पृष्टाः: asked
• पृष्टाः: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘प्रश्नाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Dative ‘to me/for me’)

• निर्णयम्: decision / conclusion
• निर्णयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वद: tell / speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī emphasizes the completeness of her inquiry—‘sixteen questions’—seeking Śaṅkara’s final ruling; the scene highlights scrolls/rosary and a calm teaching posture, suggesting systematic instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry seeks a clear, authoritative conclusion (nirṇaya) on dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the glory of Vastrāpatha-kṣetra within the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; it introduces a set of questions to be answered.