Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

निमिषं च लवैर्हत्वा लवं त्रुटिविभाजितम् । तदतीतं प्रशांतं च निर्विकारमलक्षणम्

Transliteration

nimiṣaṃ ca lavairhatvā lavaṃ truṭivibhājitam | tadatītaṃ praśāṃtaṃ ca nirvikāramalakṣaṇam

Translation

A nimīṣa is further divided into lavas, and a lava is divided into truṭis. Yet That which transcends these is serene—changeless and without defining marks.

Word by Word

• nimiṣam: a nimeṣa (blink; time unit)
• nimiṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• lavaiḥ: by lavas
• lavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• hatvā: having divided/struck
• hatvā: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √han (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: अव्यय; त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• lavam: a lava
• lavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• truṭi-vibhājitam: divided into truṭis
• truṭi-vibhājitam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: truṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-√bhaj (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (vibhājita)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुषसमासः (त्रुट्या विभाजितम्)

• tat-atītam: beyond that
• tat-atītam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + atīta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (तत् अतीतम् = that which is beyond that)

• praśāntam: peaceful, quiescent
• praśāntam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√śam (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (śānta)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• nirvikāra-amalakṣaṇam: unchanging and without defining marks
• nirvikāra-amalakṣaṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-vikāra (प्रातिपदिक) + a-lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (निर्विकारं च अमलक्षणं च/निर्विकारम् अमलक्षणम्)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dissolving time-wheel breaks into ever-finer particles (lava, truṭi) that fade into a vast, serene, unmarked luminous space; a lone liṅga or bindu remains as symbol of the changeless.

Characters & Entities

• Nimīṣa
• Lava
• Truṭi
• That (the transcendent reality)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

However finely time is measured, the ultimate truth is beyond measurement—peaceful, changeless, and indescribable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra; the Māhātmya’s glory is expressed through teachings that lead the mind toward the timeless divine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse shifts from time-units to contemplation of the timeless.