Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अथ ब्राह्मणरूपेण शंभुनोक्तो द्विजोत्तमः । त्वया ब्रह्मंस्तपस्तप्तमधुना नृत्यते कथम्

Transliteration

atha brāhmaṇarūpeṇa śaṃbhunokto dvijottamaḥ | tvayā brahmaṃstapastaptamadhunā nṛtyate katham

Translation

Dann sprach Śambhu, der die Gestalt eines Brāhmaṇa angenommen hatte, zu dem Besten der Zweimalgeborenen: „O Brahmane, du hast Askese geübt; wie kommt es, dass du jetzt tanzt?“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भसूचक) — indeclinable ‘then/now’

• ब्राह्मणरूपेण: in the form of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (ब्राह्मणस्य रूपेण), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शंभुना: by Śambhu
• शंभुना: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उक्तः: was spoken/addressed
• उक्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past passive participle; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमः: the best of twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (उत्तमो द्विजः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन — Pronoun, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; कर्मरूपेण (तप्तम् इत्यस्य)

• तप्तम्: performed, practiced (heated)
• तप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past participle; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — indeclinable ‘now’

• नृत्यते: dances
• नृत्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular (Ātmanepada)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक) — interrogative indeclinable ‘how?’

Speaker

Śiva (as a brāhmaṇa disguise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, concealed as an austere brāhmaṇa with staff and waterpot, questions the ascetic-dancer about the contradiction between tapas and dancing; the dancer is mid-motion, startled.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Śiva
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beings may test or instruct devotees through humble disguises, probing the inner meaning of austerity and spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Arbuda (Mount Abu) sacred-cycle within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, highlighting the sanctity of the Arbuda region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse frames a discussion about tapas (austerity) and its fruits.