Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

निरूपमास्यं च बलप्रभावं न च स्वभावं परमस्य पुंसः । विज्ञायते विष्णुपितामहाद्यैस्तं वामदेवं प्रणमाम्यचिंत्यम्

Transliteration

nirūpamāsyaṃ ca balaprabhāvaṃ na ca svabhāvaṃ paramasya puṃsaḥ | vijñāyate viṣṇupitāmahādyaistaṃ vāmadevaṃ praṇamāmyaciṃtyam

Translation

Weder Gestalt noch Kraft und Herrlichkeit, ja nicht einmal das eigentliche Wesen jenes höchsten Puruṣa wird vollständig erkannt—nicht einmal von Viṣṇu, Pitāmaha (Brahmā) und den anderen. Vor jenem Vāmadeva, dem Unfassbaren, verneige ich mich.

Word by Word

• निरूपम्: incomparable
• निरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरूप (प्रातिपदिक; निः+उपम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom/acc sg)

• आस्यम्: face/mouth
• आस्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बलप्रभावम्: power and might (strength-effect)
• बलप्रभावम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलस्य प्रभावः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्वभावम्: intrinsic nature
• स्वभावम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (स्वः भावः)

• परमस्य: of the supreme
• परमस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (gen sg)

• पुंसः: of the person (Supreme Being)
• पुंसः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg)

• विज्ञायते: is known/understood
• विज्ञायते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is known/understood)

• विष्णुपितामहाद्यैः: by Vishnu, Brahmā (Pitamaha), and others
• विष्णुपितामहाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + पितामह + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समाहार/समुच्चयार्थः (by Vishnu, Pitamaha, and others)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• वामदेवम्: Vāmadeva (a form/name of Śiva)
• वामदेवम्: Karma (Object/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वामः देवः)

• प्रणमामि: I bow to
• प्रणमामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (I bow)

• अचिन्त्यम्: inconceivable
• अचिन्त्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्+चिन्त्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc sg)

Speaker

A devotee/narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (hymnic praise; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmadeva—gentle yet profound aspect of Śiva—stands as an unthinkable radiance; in the background, Viṣṇu and Brahmā appear as reverent witnesses, signifying the limits of divine cognition.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Vāmadeva
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme cannot be fully grasped even by the highest gods; humility and surrender are the proper response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, with its māhātmya framing Śiva as the inconceivable supreme reality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is stated; the act prescribed is praṇāma (reverent bowing) to the acintya Lord.