Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । अत्यद्भुतं महादेव माहात्म्यं कथितं मम । अपूर्वं देवदेवेश कदाचिन्न श्रुतं मया

Transliteration

devyuvāca | atyadbhutaṃ mahādeva māhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ mama | apūrvaṃ devadeveśa kadācinna śrutaṃ mayā

Translation

দেবী বললেন—হে মহাদেব! আপনি আমাকে অতি আশ্চর্য মহিমা বর্ণনা করেছেন; হে দেবদেবেশ! এ এক অপূর্ব কথা, আমি আগে কখনও শুনিনি।

Word by Word

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

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

• अति-अद्भुतम्: most wonderful
• अति-अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying māhātmyam)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कथितम्: told/narrated
• कथितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त; √कथ् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (माहात्म्यम्) इति कर्मणि/भूतकर्मणि विशेषण

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपूर्वम्: unprecedented
• अपूर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (implicit: ‘idam’)

• देवदेवेश: O lord of the gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: ever/at any time)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि (heard)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī/Umā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva/Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, eyes widened in wonder, addresses Mahādeva after hearing extraordinary Prabhāsa greatness; the atmosphere is intimate, didactic, and charged with revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Devadeveśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening (śravaṇa) to a tīrtha’s māhātmya is itself a gateway to faith and deeper inquiry into dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, centered on Somēśvara (Śiva), whose greatness is being introduced through dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes attentive hearing and wonder at the māhātmya.