Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स्वरादिव्यंजनातीतं वर्णादिपरिवर्जितम् । वाचामवाच्यविषयमहंकारार्द्धरूपिणम्

Transliteration

svarādivyaṃjanātītaṃ varṇādiparivarjitam | vācāmavācyaviṣayamahaṃkārārddharūpiṇam

Translation

Jenseits von Vokalen und Konsonanten, jenseits aller Buchstaben und ihrer Gestalten, ist Er der Gegenstand des „Unaussprechlichen“, den die Rede nicht fassen kann; und doch ist Er auch der feine Grund, in dem die Ichheit (ahaṅkāra) teilweise Gestalt annimmt.

Word by Word

• svara-ādi-vyañjana-atītam: beyond vowels and consonants
• svara-ādi-vyañjana-atītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + vyañjana (प्रातिपदिक) + atīta (कृदन्त; √i + ati)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘स्वरादि-व्यान्जनात् अतीतम्’ इति; कृदन्त (अतीत)

• varṇa-ādi-parivarjitam: devoid of letters and the like
• varṇa-ādi-parivarjitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + parivarjita (कृदन्त; √vṛj with pari)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘वर्णादि-परिवर्जितम्’ (devoid of letters etc.); कृदन्त (परिवर्जित)

• vācām: of speech/words
• vācām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘वाचाम्’ = of speeches/words

• avācya-viṣayam: the object that is inexpressible
• avācya-viṣayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (निषेध) + vācya (कृदन्त; √vac) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘अवाच्यः विषयः’ इति (that which is not expressible); विशेष्य

• ahaṃkāra-arddha-rūpiṇam: having the form of half of egoity (ahaṃkāra)
• ahaṃkāra-arddha-rūpiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ahaṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘अहंकारस्य अर्ध-रूपः’/‘अहंकारार्धरूपिन्’ इति; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa—Someśvara/Somnatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Letters (vowels and consonants) appear as a garland around the liṅga, then break apart and vanish into a luminous void; a faint silhouette of ‘I’-sense (ahaṅkāra) is seen forming at the edge of that light, then offered back into it.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Ahaṃkāra
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme cannot be contained by language, yet is the hidden basis of the ego and all expression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the ineffable Sadāśiva is praised beyond speech.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a metaphysical praise (stuti) suited for contemplation.