Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता ते सर्वे मुनिपुंगवाः । ध्यानात्त्रिलोचनस्यैव अदृष्टे तु महेश्वरे

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā te sarve munipuṃgavāḥ | dhyānāttrilocanasyaiva adṛṣṭe tu maheśvare

Translation

অতঃপর বহু কাল অতিবাহিত হলে সেই সকল মুনিশ্রেষ্ঠ—যদিও মহেশ্বর তখনও প্রত্যক্ষ হননি—কেবল ত্রিনয়ন প্রভুর ধ্যানেই এক আশ্চর্য অবস্থায় উপনীত হলেন।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: देश-कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: then/thereafter)

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचनम्; करणम् (by time)

• महता: great, long
• महता: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कालेन’)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘ते’)

• मुनिपुंगवाः: foremost sages
• मुनिपुंगवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘मुनीनां पुंगवाः’ (best among sages)

• ध्यानात्: from (their) meditation
• ध्यानात्: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनम्; हेतौ/अपादानम् (from/through meditation)

• त्रिलोचनस्य: of the three-eyed one
• त्रिलोचनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः ‘यस्य त्रीणि लोचनानि सः’ (epithet of Śiva)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (particle: only/indeed)

• अदृष्टे: when (he) was not seen
• अदृष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + दृश् (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle) ‘not seen’; सति-सप्तमी-प्रायः

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपातः (particle: but/indeed)

• महेश्वरे: in/with Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बन्धः ‘महेश्वरे (सति)’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of aged sages seated in deep meditation within the sandy-coastal sacred landscape of Prabhāsa; Śiva not yet visible, but an unseen radiance suggests Trilocana’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Trilocana (Śiva)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even without immediate divine vision, steadfast meditation on Śiva matures and yields spiritual transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the sages persevere in dhyāna awaiting Śiva’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) upon Trilocana/Śiva as a sustained practice.