Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । यदा भ्रमिस्थः सविता तक्षितः क्षुरधारया । श्वशुरेण महादेव जामाता प्रीतिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | yadā bhramisthaḥ savitā takṣitaḥ kṣuradhārayā | śvaśureṇa mahādeva jāmātā prītipūrvakam

Translation

দেবী বললেন—হে মহাদেব! ভ্রমিস্থে অবস্থানরত সবিতা (সূর্য)কে তাঁর শ্বশুর, প্রিয় জামাতা জেনে, স্নেহপূর্বক ক্ষুরধারায় ক্ষুরিত করেছিলেন।

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb) — ‘when’

• भ्रमिस्थः: being in rotation/whirling
• भ्रमिस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रमि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भ्रमौ/भ्रमौ स्थितः) — ‘standing in a whirl/rotation’

• सविता: the Sun (Savitṛ)
• सविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तक्षितः: cut, hewn
• तक्षितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तक्षित (कृदन्त; √तक्ष् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• क्षुरधारया: by a razor’s edge
• क्षुरधारया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर-धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षुरस्य धारा)

• श्वशुरेण: by the father-in-law
• श्वशुरेण: Karana/Agent (Instrumental agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वशुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• जामाता: son-in-law
• जामाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रीतिपूर्वकम्: affectionately, with pleasure
• प्रीतिपूर्वकम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रीति-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual destination of the fallen tejas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Mahādeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic shaving/paring of Sūrya’s blazing form by the father-in-law, rendered as a ritual-like act with a razor’s edge, while the Goddess questions Mahādeva in a calm yet astonished courtly setting.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Savitṛ (Sūrya)
• Śvaśura (father-in-law)
• Bhrami/Bhramistha (toponym)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are explained through divine, relational myths—showing how cosmic events become localized as tīrtha-history (māhātmya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa region, introducing the Arkasthala/Sūrya-related sacred geography that will be explained by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it opens a question that leads to the Sun’s māhātmya.