Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । कस्मात्संक्लिश्यसे बाले कथ्यतां यद्विवक्षितम् । अहं हि भास्करोऽप्येको नानात्वं नैव विद्यते

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | kasmātsaṃkliśyase bāle kathyatāṃ yadvivakṣitam | ahaṃ hi bhāskaro'pyeko nānātvaṃ naiva vidyate

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Kind, warum quälst du dich so? Sage, was du erfragen willst. Denn ich bin wahrlich der Eine; ich bin auch Bhāskara (die Sonne). In Wahrheit gibt es keine Vielheit.

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (the Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kasmāt: from what cause/why
• kasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• saṃkliśyase: do you afflict yourself
• saṃkliśyase: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + kliś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• bāle: O girl/child
• bāle: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• kathyatām: let it be told
• kathyatām: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person) एकवचन, कर्मणि (Passive), आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थ—‘let it be told’

• yat: whatever/that which
• yat: Karma (Object of ‘kathyatām’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• vivakṣitam: intended to be said
• vivakṣitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + vac (धातु) + vivakṣita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-dyotaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• bhāskaraḥ: the Sun
• bhāskaraḥ: Karta (Apposition to ‘aham’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha-dyotaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-प्रयोग (also/even)

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nānātvam: difference/multiplicity
• nānātvam: Karma (Object/predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nānātva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prabhā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears to the ascetic Prabhā, speaking gently yet profoundly: ‘Why torment yourself? Ask your wish. I am Bhāskara too; no multiplicity truly exists.’ The scene blends compassion with metaphysical radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Bhāskara (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord affirms a vision of unity beyond apparent differences, while compassionately inviting the devotee to state her desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, this dialogue forms the theological foundation for the Prabhāsa/Prabhāseśvara māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed; Śiva questions the need for self-torment and invites a direct statement of the devotee’s request.