Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ममैव निमिषार्द्धेन सहस्राणि चतुर्द्दश । विनश्यंति ततो विष्णोरसंख्याताः पितामहाः

Transliteration

mamaiva nimiṣārddhena sahasrāṇi caturddaśa | vinaśyaṃti tato viṣṇorasaṃkhyātāḥ pitāmahāḥ

Translation

In nur einem halben Augenblinzeln von Mir vergehen vierzehntausend (solcher Zyklen); und darüber hinaus schwinden unzählige „Großväter“ Viṣṇus, die Brahmās.

Word by Word

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• निमिषार्द्धेन: by half a wink (half a moment)
• निमिषार्द्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (measure of time)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective), सहस्राणि-विशेषण (qualifies 'thousands')

• विनश्यन्ति: perish
• विनश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• ततः: thereupon/from that
• ततः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक-प्रयोग (from that/thereupon)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण

• पितामहाः: Brahmās (grandfathers/creators)
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from address to Devī/Parvatī in this adhyāya sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic scale-contrast: the Supreme (Viṣṇu as Mahāviṣṇu) serene on the cosmic ocean; from His breath/measure, countless lotus-stalks arise each bearing a Brahmā, while time-wheels collapse in half a wink; below, Prabhāsa shore and Somnātha stand as the pilgrim’s tangible gateway to the transcendent.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme transcends even the greatest cosmic administrators; liberation comes from realizing the divine beyond time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the Māhātmya context; the site’s greatness is reinforced through revelations of cosmic transcendence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological statement about divine time and dissolution.