Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

अनुक्रमेण सर्वेषां पतिता पादयोः शुभा । आदेशं देहि मे तात कि नु कार्यं मयाऽधुना

Transliteration

anukrameṇa sarveṣāṃ patitā pādayoḥ śubhā | ādeśaṃ dehi me tāta ki nu kāryaṃ mayā'dhunā

Translation

Der Ordnung gemäß fiel das glückverheißende Mädchen vor aller Füßen nieder und sprach: „Vater, erteile mir deinen Befehl—was soll ich nun tun?“

Word by Word

• अनुक्रमेण: gradually, in order
• अनुक्रमेण: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — instrumental-form used adverbially; ‘in due order/gradually’

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — ‘of all’

• पतिता: (she) fell/prostrated
• पतिता: Kriyā (Main action as participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘having fallen/prostrated’

• पादयोः: at the feet
• पादयोः: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी) द्विवचन (also can function as locative/dual) — ‘at/on the feet (of two)’

• शुभा: auspicious, fair
• शुभा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — qualifying implied ‘she’

• आदेशम्: command, instruction
• आदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — object of ‘देहि’

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘give’

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic) — here dative sense with ‘देहि’: ‘to me’

• तात: dear father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — address

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — interrogative ‘what’

• नु: indeed?, then?
• नु: Prayojaka-nipāta (Interrogative particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-निपात) — interrogative particle

• कार्यम्: duty, what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘to be done/what should be done’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartṛ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — agent/instrument ‘by me’

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — temporal adverb

Speaker

Daughter (addressing her father)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daughter, auspicious and composed, bows at the feet of her elders in proper order and asks her father for instruction on what to do.

Characters & Entities

• Daughter
• Father
• Mother (implied)
• Elders/All present (sarveṣām)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and willingness to receive guidance are presented as virtues that support dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger frame remains Prabhāsakṣetra, though this verse focuses on conduct (ācāra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights respectful behavior toward elders.