Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

किं वा तेन बहूक्तेन तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । असंख्यानि गतो देवः कामं च ददृशे तथा

Transliteration

kiṃ vā tena bahūktena tīrthānyāyatanāni ca | asaṃkhyāni gato devaḥ kāmaṃ ca dadṛśe tathā

Translation

But what is the use of saying much? The God went to countless sacred fords and holy shrines—yet there too he continued to behold Kāma.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prayojana/Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• तेन: by that / with that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• बहूक्तेन: with much talk / by many words
• बहूक्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु + उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; उक्त = √वच् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (बहुं उक्तम् = much said)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• आयतनानि: abodes / shrines
• आयतनानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• असंख्यानि: countless
• असंख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• गतः: having gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्त (past participle)

• देवः: the god (Mahādeva)
• देवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कामम्: Kāma
• कामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• ददृशे: saw
• ददृशे: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: thus/so)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Characters & Entities

• Deva (Śiva/Mahādeva)
• Kāma
• tīrthas
• āyatanas (shrines)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External travel through many holy places is powerful, yet inner causes (like desire) can still reappear until spiritually resolved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is singled out; the verse magnifies the sheer multitude of tīrthas and shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse summarizes extensive tīrtha-visitation in the narrative.