Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । एवमद्वैतभावेन यद्ब्रह्म परिकीर्तितम् । तस्य पूजा विधानं मे कथयस्व यथार्थतः

Transliteration

devyuvāca | evamadvaitabhāvena yadbrahma parikīrtitam | tasya pūjā vidhānaṃ me kathayasva yathārthataḥ

Translation

Die Göttin sprach: „Da Brahman auf diese Weise als nicht‑dual (Advaita) verkündet wurde, sage mir wahrhaftig und genau die Vorschrift seiner Verehrung.“

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोक्तुं शक्यते (context: speaker identification)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• अद्वैतभावेन: by the non-dual state (of mind/being)
• अद्वैतभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्वैत-भाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास/तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक (instrumental: 'by/with the state of non-duality')

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshya (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक यत्-तत्-सम्बन्धे

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितम्: has been proclaimed/described
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘कीर्तितम्’ = ‘has been proclaimed’

• तस्य: of that (Brahman)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• विधानम्: procedure, ordinance
• विधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; ‘पूजा-विधानम्’ इति कर्मपदसम्बन्धः

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th case), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (dative) ‘to me’ अधिकयुक्ता

• कथयस्व: tell, explain
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• यथार्थतः: truthfully, as it really is
• यथार्थतः: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'in accordance with truth')

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara/Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī speaks, respectfully requesting the exact worship procedure for the non-dual Brahman previously described; a didactic dialogue scene begins.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Brahman
• Advaita
• Pūjā-vidhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right understanding should mature into right practice—Devī seeks the correct worship method aligned with non-duality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where teachings on Brahman and worship are delivered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests a pūjā-vidhi (worship procedure) but does not yet state the steps.