Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा चैव तपोनिष्ठां तेषामाद्यः सुरेश्वरः । उवाच वचनं देवः प्रणतान्पार्श्वतः स्थितान्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā caiva taponiṣṭhāṃ teṣāmādyaḥ sureśvaraḥ | uvāca vacanaṃ devaḥ praṇatānpārśvataḥ sthitān

Translation

Als der uranfängliche Herr der Götter ihre standhafte Hingabe an die Askese sah, sprach der Gott ein heiliges Wort zu denen, die in seiner Nähe standen, das Haupt ehrfürchtig geneigt.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Prayojaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तपोनिष्ठाम्: one steadfast in austerity
• तपोनिष्ठाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसि निष्ठा यस्याः/तपोनिष्ठा)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• आद्यः: the first/chief
• आद्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सुरेश्वरः: lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वचनम्: words/speech
• वचनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणतान्: those who had bowed down
• प्रणतान्: Karma (Object; those addressed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → प्रणत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• पार्श्वतः: at the side/nearby
• पार्श्वतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'from/at the side')

• स्थितान्: standing
• स्थितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'प्रणतान्')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration; framed by Sūta earlier)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotees/ascetics standing nearby with bowed heads

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of ascetics/devotees stand to the side with heads bowed, hands folded; Śiva, the ancient lord, observes their unwavering austerity and begins to address them, signaling imminent blessing or instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Sureśvara (Śiva/Īśvara)
• Tapas (austerity)
• Devotees/attendants

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity anchored in devotion and humility draws direct divine instruction and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is part of Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, highlighting the place as a stage for tapas and divine encounter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it depicts tapas-niṣṭhā (firm austerity) as the devotees’ defining practice.