Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य त्रिदशावश्विनौ प्रिये । कृताभिषेकां विवृतां सुकन्यां तामपश्यताम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | kasyacittvatha kālasya tridaśāvaśvinau priye | kṛtābhiṣekāṃ vivṛtāṃ sukanyāṃ tāmapaśyatām

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „O Geliebte, zu einer gewissen Zeit erblickten die beiden göttlichen Aśvin-Brüder Sukanyā — eben vom Bad her, und ihre Gestalt war unverhüllt.“

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• kasyacit: of some
• kasyacit: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kasya-cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

• kālasya: of time/period
• kālasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• tridaśau: the gods (two)
• tridaśau: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri-daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: त्रयः दश च इति (त्रिदश = देवाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• aśvinau: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• aśvinau: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• kṛta-abhiṣekām: having had the consecration performed
• kṛta-abhiṣekām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + abhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कृतः अभिषेकः यस्याः सा; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• vivṛtām: uncovered/revealed
• vivṛtām: Karma (Object; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-vṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sukanyām: Sukanyā (the maiden)
• sukanyām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: सु + कन्या; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• apaśyatām: (they two) saw
• apaśyatām: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (bath setting within narrative)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed as ‘priye’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sukanyā, just bathed, hair damp, modestly draped, stands near water; the twin Aśvins—youthful divine physicians—appear suddenly, gazing in astonishment and desire; the scene balances purity and impending temptation.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Aśvinau (Aśvins)
• Sukanyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse sets a moral-testing scene where divine beings encounter human virtue, preparing the narrative contrast between temptation and steadfast dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the broader setting of the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya and the Cyavana-related sacred account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhiṣeka/snānā (bathing/ablution) is referenced descriptively, not as a command.