Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । अनंतस्याप्रमेयस्य देवदेवस्य शूलिनः । नाहं शक्तः परं पारं गंतुं ब्रह्मन्कथंचन

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | anaṃtasyāprameyasya devadevasya śūlinaḥ | nāhaṃ śaktaḥ paraṃ pāraṃ gaṃtuṃ brahmankathaṃcana

Translation

Viṣṇu sprach: „Den endlosen, unermesslichen Herrn, den Gott der Götter, den Dreizackträger — o Brahmā — vermag ich auf keine Weise bis zur äußersten Grenze zu erreichen.“

Word by Word

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘उवाच’ (said)

• anaṃtasya: of the endless one
• anaṃtasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• aprameyasya: of the immeasurable
• aprameyasya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aprameya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• devadevasya: of the god of gods
• devadevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—देवानां देवः (of the god of gods)

• śūlinaḥ: of the trident-bearer
• śūlinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘शूलिन्’ (trident-bearer)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — not

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śaktaḥ: able
• śaktaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakta (कृदन्त, √śak)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—समर्थः (able)

• param: supreme/farther
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• pāram: the far shore/limit
• pāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• gantum: to reach
• gantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) — ‘गन्तुम्’ (to go/reach)

• brahman: O Brahmā
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — ‘ब्रह्मन्’ (O Brahmā)

• kathaṃcana: in any way
• kathaṃcana: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — कथंचन (in any way/at all)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn assembly where Viṣṇu, composed and reverent, addresses Brahmā, acknowledging the immeasurable Śūlin; the atmosphere is cosmic, with subtle signs of Śiva’s unseen presence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śiva (Śūlin, Devadeva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness expresses itself as humility: Viṣṇu openly acknowledges the immeasurable nature of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies Śiva as Devadeva within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.