Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ध्यायमाने महादेवे गौतमेन महात्मना । अकस्मादभवद्वाणी हर्षयन्ती जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

dhyāyamāne mahādeve gautamena mahātmanā | akasmādabhavadvāṇī harṣayantī jagattrayam

Translation

Als der großherzige Gautama über Mahādeva meditierte, erhob sich plötzlich eine göttliche Stimme, die die drei Welten erfreute.

Word by Word

• ध्यायमाने: while (he) was meditating
• ध्यायमाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्याय (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), आत्मनेपद-भावे; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(तस्मिन्) ध्यायमाने’ = ‘while (he) was meditating’

• महादेवे: in/with regard to Mahādeva
• महादेवे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• गौतमेन: by Gautama
• गौतमेन: Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ‘गौतमेन’); समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• अकस्मात्: suddenly
• अकस्मात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/particle): ‘suddenly, unexpectedly’

• अभवत्: arose / came to be
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाणी: a voice
• वाणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हर्षयन्ती: delighting
• हर्षयन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग; विशेषण (qualifier of ‘वाणी’)

• जगत्-त्रयम्: the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः द्विगुः (त्रयाणि जगन्ति)

Speaker

Narrative voice (continuing Prahlāda’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣayaḥ / recitation audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama in deep meditation; from the sky or unseen realm, a radiant stream of sound/light descends—ākāśavāṇī—while the environment brightens, suggesting joy spreading across the three worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Divine Voice (Divyavāṇī)
• Three worlds

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Focused meditation on the deity becomes the channel through which guidance manifests for the welfare of all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the turning point before the Dvārakā-related sacred-place description begins explicitly in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) upon Mahādeva is the practice highlighted.