Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स दृष्टः सहसा तेन पिंडारेण महात्मना । प्रणाममकरोद्राजंस्ततस्तं शंकरोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭaḥ sahasā tena piṃḍāreṇa mahātmanā | praṇāmamakarodrājaṃstatastaṃ śaṃkaro'bravīt

Translation

Plötzlich wurde er von dem großherzigen Piṇḍāra erblickt; o König, er erwies ehrfürchtig seine Verneigung, und darauf sprach Śaṅkara zu ihm.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि—‘was seen’

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• पिंडारेण: by Piṇḍāra
• पिंडारेण: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• प्रणामम्: salutation
• प्रणामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• अकरोत्: did/made
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in Purāṇic narration (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (darśana-prada path/spot)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great-souled ascetic (Piṇḍāra) suddenly beholds Śiva with Pārvatī; he falls in full prostration as Śiva turns and begins to speak, radiance filling the mountain path.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Piṇḍāra (Piṇḍāreṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent humility (praṇāma) before the Divine opens the way for grace and direct instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s sacred setting is the stage for Śiva’s darśana, within the Piṇḍāraka-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma—devotional salutation/prostration—is exemplified as an immediate dharmic response to divine presence.