Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

इत्येवमादि नामानि स्वसंख्यातानि षोडश । गतानि संभविष्यंति कालस्यानंतभावतः

Transliteration

ityevamādi nāmāni svasaṃkhyātāni ṣoḍaśa | gatāni saṃbhaviṣyaṃti kālasyānaṃtabhāvataḥ

Translation

Thus, beginning in this manner, sixteen names—each in its own ordained count—have passed and will yet arise, because Time is endless in its nature.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• evam: in this way
• evam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (in this manner)

• ādi: and so on, beginning with
• ādi: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन/विशेषणरूपेण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (etc., beginning with)

• nāmāni: names
• nāmāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• svasaṃkhyātāni: self-numbered, counted (as such)
• svasaṃkhyātāni: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyāta (√khyā, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्वया/स्वेन संख्यातानि = self-counted/numbered by themselves)

• ṣoḍaśa: sixteen
• ṣoḍaśa: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣoḍaśan (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन/अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘sixteen’

• gatāni: have passed, gone
• gatāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘gone/passed’

• saṃbhaviṣyanti: will occur/come to be
• saṃbhaviṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam√bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• kālasya: of time
• kālasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• anantabhāvataḥ: because of (time’s) endless nature
• anantabhāvataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिलन्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-from/because of’; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अनन्तः भावः)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage narrates the succession of sixteen sacred names across endless time; behind him, a cosmic wheel of yugas and kalpas turns above the sea-shore of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred names and manifestations unfold through endless time, encouraging steady devotion across changing ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Lord’s names are framed as part of the site’s eternal sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse supports contemplative remembrance of the Lord through time (kāla-smaraṇa with nāma-smaraṇa).