Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सर्वान्देवांस्ततः प्राह किमर्थं निर्मितास्म्य हम् । तद्वः कार्यं करिष्यामि श्रुत्वा तस्यास्तदा गिरम्

Transliteration

sarvāndevāṃstataḥ prāha kimarthaṃ nirmitāsmya ham | tadvaḥ kāryaṃ kariṣyāmi śrutvā tasyāstadā giram

Translation

Dann sprach sie zu allen Göttern: „Zu welchem Zweck bin ich erschaffen worden? Euer Werk will ich vollbringen.“ Als sie ihre Worte vernahmen, hörten sie aufmerksam zu.

Word by Word

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'all' (agreeing with देवान्)

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण) — 'then'

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'said/spoke'

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक — 'what'

• अर्थम्: purpose
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'purpose'

• निर्मिता: created
• निर्मिता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis + √mā (मा)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — 'created/made'

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'I am'

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया — 'that' (referring to task)

• वः: your
• वः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — 'of you/your'

• कार्यं: task, work
• कार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'task'

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'I will do'

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्), अव्ययभाव — 'having heard'

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — 'of her'

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — 'then'

• गिरम्: speech, words
• गिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (गिर्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'speech/voice'

Speaker

Divine maiden (kanyā/devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the luminous precincts of Prabhāsa, the Goddess stands before an assembly of devas, questioning her manifested purpose and vowing to accomplish their task; devas lean in, attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Divine maiden (kanyā/devī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is purposeful—śakti arises with a clear mission to serve dharma and relieve the gods’ burden.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where divine agents arise and directly coordinate with the devas for dharma’s protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative moment establishing the देवी’s mission.