Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

किमेष शास्त्रनिर्दिष्टो मार्गः किमुत लौकिकः । मुह्यते मे मनो देव तेन त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

kimeṣa śāstranirdiṣṭo mārgaḥ kimuta laukikaḥ | muhyate me mano deva tena tvaṃ vaktumarhasi

Translation

এ কি শাস্ত্রনির্দিষ্ট পথ, না কি কেবল লোকাচার? হে দেব, আমার মন বিভ্রান্ত হচ্ছে; অতএব আপনি ব্যাখ্যা করতে অনুগ্রহ করুন।

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम

• शास्त्रनिर्दिष्टः: prescribed by scripture
• शास्त्रनिर्दिष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र-निर्दिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; शास्त्र + निर्दिष्ट (दिश्-धातोः नि-उपसर्गे क्त))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तृतीया/तत्पुरुषार्थः (शास्त्रेण निर्दिष्टः = prescribed by scripture)

• मार्गः: path; way
• मार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• उत: or; rather
• उत: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प/प्रश्नार्थक-निपात (particle: or/indeed)

• लौकिकः: worldly; conventional
• लौकिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मार्गस्य विशेषणम्

• मुह्यते: is confused; becomes deluded
• मुह्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive: my)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देव: O god; O lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेन: therefore; by that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (instrumental of cause: therefore/by that)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to speak’

• अर्हसि: you ought; you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī / Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, perplexed, asks Śiva whether the observed path is scripturally enjoined or merely worldly; an intimate teaching moment amid the larger Prabhāsa pilgrimage map.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Śiva (Īśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment: one must distinguish scriptural practice from mere social contagion or confusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the narrative setting; the verse itself focuses on discerning the correct path rather than naming a new tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for authoritative teaching: the Devī asks Śiva to clarify whether the observed behavior is śāstra-approved.