Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

को हर्षविषयः कस्मात्त्वयैतन्नृत्यते द्विज । तस्मात्कार्यं वदाशु त्वं परं कौतूहलं द्विजः

Transliteration

ko harṣaviṣayaḥ kasmāttvayaitannṛtyate dvija | tasmātkāryaṃ vadāśu tvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ dvijaḥ

Translation

„Was ist der Grund deiner Freude, und warum tanzt du, o Zweimalgeborener? Darum sage mir schnell, worum es geht — denn große Neugier bewegt mich, o Brāhmaṇa.“

Word by Word

• कः: what?/which? (who/what)
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• हर्षविषयः: cause/object of joy
• हर्षविषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• नृत्यते: dances
• नृत्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• द्विज: O brahmin
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• कार्यं: the matter to be done; business
• कार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वद: tell, say
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/शीघ्रता-बोधक अव्यय (adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजः: the brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified interlocutor (addressing a ṛṣi/brāhmaṇa) within the Īśvara-uvāca narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disguised brāhmaṇa questions a dancing ascetic: ‘What is the cause of your joy?’ The sage’s movement contrasts with the questioner’s composed posture.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual experiences should be examined with discernment; genuine joy invites inquiry into its true cause.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it initiates inquiry that leads to a revelation of spiritual attainment.