Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एवं नामानि देवस्य संक्षेपात्कीर्तितानि मे । विस्तरात्कथितुं नैव शक्यंते कालगौरवात्

Transliteration

evaṃ nāmāni devasya saṃkṣepātkīrtitāni me | vistarātkathituṃ naiva śakyaṃte kālagauravāt

Translation

So habe ich die Namen des Herrn nur kurz verkündet. Sie in voller Ausführlichkeit zu erzählen ist nicht möglich, denn die Zeit selbst ist weit und gewichtig.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संक्षेपात्: briefly/in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (briefly)

• कीर्तितानि: have been mentioned/proclaimed
• कीर्तितानि: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'कीर्तित' = उक्त/प्रकीर्तित

• मे: by me / of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular; enclitic form)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Sambandha/Adverbial (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'विस्तरात्' = विस्तारतः (in detail)

• कथितुम्: to narrate
• कथितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive), 'कथितुम्' = कथयितुम्

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible/can be done
• शक्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'are possible')

• कालगौरवात्: due to the weight/constraint of time
• कालगौरवात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (गौरव), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य गौरवम् = time’s heaviness/constraint)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like narrator gestures to a scroll that fades into a horizon labeled ‘Kāla’; countless divine names appear like stars, but only a few are written, conveying deliberate brevity.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine is inexhaustible; even sacred narration bows to the immensity of Time and the countless forms of the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the setting; the verse supports its māhātmya by framing the Lord’s boundless epithets honored there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the implied practice is nāma-kīrtana (praise of divine names).