Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सदुपदेशं त्वं किंचिद्दातुमिहार्हसि । तरामो येन देवेश दुर्गं संसारसागरम्

Transliteration

tasmātsadupadeśaṃ tvaṃ kiṃciddātumihārhasi | tarāmo yena deveśa durgaṃ saṃsārasāgaram

Translation

Therefore, O Lord of the gods, grant us here some true instruction, by which we may cross the difficult ocean of saṃsāra, worldly existence.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival sense: therefore/from that)

• सत्: good; true
• सत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् उपदेशम्

• उपदेशम्: instruction; teaching
• उपदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किंचित्: something; a little
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite)

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), दानार्थक

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: here)

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• तरामः: we cross; we may cross
• तरामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative)

• देवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• दुर्गम्: hard to cross; difficult
• दुर्गम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् संसारसागरम्

• संसारसागरम्: the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सागरः)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (Acaleśvara context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Devēśa addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, hands folded, earnestly request ‘sadupadeśa’ from Brahmā, with the metaphorical ocean of saṃsāra suggested behind them as dark waves, contrasted by the calm radiance of the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Deveśa/Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere seekers humbly ask for right guidance (sadupadeśa) as the means to transcend saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda region is the narrative setting; the text is moving toward a place-based means of merit (mahāpada) described by Brahmā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rather than prescribing a rite, the verse requests spiritual instruction that enables liberation.