Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

हिमवानुवाच । का त्वं देवि विशालाक्षि शंस मे संशयो महान्

Transliteration

himavānuvāca | kā tvaṃ devi viśālākṣi śaṃsa me saṃśayo mahān

Translation

Himavān sprach: „Wer bist du, o Göttin mit weit geöffneten Augen? Sage es mir — mein Zweifel ist groß.“

Word by Word

• हिमवान्: Himavān (the Himalaya)
• हिमवान्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• का: who (fem.)
• का: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विशालाक्षि: O wide-eyed one
• विशालाक्षि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (विशालानि अक्षीणि यस्याः)

• शंस: tell/declare
• शंस: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन (द्विरूप); अत्र दत्तसम्प्रदानार्थे चतुर्थी (to me)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to संशयः)

Speaker

Himavān

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dialogue-frame audience within Prabhāsakhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān, hands folded, eyes lowered yet intent, asks the wide-eyed Goddess her identity; Devī stands tranquil, ready to reveal her nature.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Devī (Viśālākṣī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Revelation begins with sincere inquiry; doubt is resolved not by argument alone but by approaching the divine with humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, as the setting for a direct theophany and dialogue with the Goddess.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse initiates the revelatory dialogue.