Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आद्यं महाप्रभावं हि नापुण्यो वेद मानवः । तस्यैव कल्पनामानि सांप्रतं प्रब्रवीमि ते

Transliteration

ādyaṃ mahāprabhāvaṃ hi nāpuṇyo veda mānavaḥ | tasyaiva kalpanāmāni sāṃprataṃ prabravīmi te

Translation

Wahrlich, ein Mensch ohne Verdienst erkennt seine uranfängliche, gewaltige Macht nicht. Darum will ich dir nun die ihm in den verschiedenen Kalpas verliehenen Namen verkünden.

Word by Word

• आद्यम्: the first, primordial
• आद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• महाप्रभावम्: greatly powerful (one/thing)
• महाप्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपातः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अपुण्यः: sinful, without merit
• अपुण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• मानवः: a man, human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• कल्पनामानि: the names (in the Kalpa/tradition)
• कल्पनामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कल्पस्य नामानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचनम्

• सांप्रतम्: now, at present
• सांप्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• प्रब्रवीमि: I declare, I tell
• प्रब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी एकवचनम् (Dative singular)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛṣabheśvara (kalpa-nāma tradition introduced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks solemnly to Pārvatī, indicating that the shrine’s primordial power is not understood by the unmeritorious; a cosmic backdrop hints at kalpas—cycles of creation—while the liṅga remains steady and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Mānava (human seeker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual merit (puṇya) refines understanding; tīrtha-glory is grasped through devotion and accumulated righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, particularly a liṅga whose greatness is said to be primordial and kalpa-transcending.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the verse introduces a teaching on the liṅga’s kalpa-wise names.