Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

कथमेषा समुत्पन्ना कस्येदं कर्मणः फलम् । अस्यां केन प्रकारेण वचनं मानुषं भवेत्

Transliteration

kathameṣā samutpannā kasyedaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam | asyāṃ kena prakāreṇa vacanaṃ mānuṣaṃ bhavet

Translation

„Wie ist sie entstanden, und wessen Tat trägt diese Frucht? Und auf welche Weise könnte in ihr jemals menschliche Rede offenbar werden?“

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• एषा: this (she/this thing)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुत्पन्ना: arisen, originated
• समुत्पन्ना: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उत्-पद् (धातु) → समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कस्य: of whom/which
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc./Neut.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मणः: of the deed/action
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्याम्: in this (matter/her)
• अस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• केन: by what / with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masc./Neut.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकारेण: by what manner
• प्रकारेण: Karana (Manner/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वचनम्: speech, statement
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: might be / could become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of questioning faces in an assembly; a mysterious doe/figure implied off-frame; the speaker’s hand raised in inquiry about her origin and karmic fruit.

Characters & Entities

• karma
• phala
• eṣā (female subject)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary events are interpreted through karma-phala: moral causality is a key Purāṇic lens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The questions arise within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya set in the Prabhāsa sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal inquiry into cause, merit, and miraculous manifestation.