Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कृच्छ्रेण महता प्राप्तो नाहं शक्तो विसर्पितुम् । अथोचुस्त्रिदशाः सर्वे सर्वमस्माभिर्भक्षितम्

Transliteration

kṛcchreṇa mahatā prāpto nāhaṃ śakto visarpitum | athocustridaśāḥ sarve sarvamasmābhirbhakṣitam

Translation

“With great difficulty I have come; I am not able to move about.” Then all the gods replied: “Everything has already been consumed by us.”

Word by Word

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with difficulty)

• महता: great
• महता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (great)

• प्राप्तः: (I) have arrived
• प्राप्तः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively (having arrived)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; negation particle

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun nominative singular

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate complement/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Predicative adjective (able)

• विसर्पितुम्: to crawl away
• विसर्पितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-सृप् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; Infinitive (to crawl/creep away)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय; sequential particle (then)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect 3rd plural (they said)

• त्रिदशाः: the gods
• त्रिदशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (all)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (everything)

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (by us)

• भक्षितम्: has been eaten
• भक्षितम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle (eaten/consumed)

Speaker

Candra (first hemistich), then Tridaśas (Devas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / tīrtha-audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma, weakened and unable to move, speaks with difficulty; devas respond bluntly that the amṛta is already consumed, creating a poignant contrast between need and denial.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Tridaśa (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly resources are finite; divine narratives often redirect seekers toward a sacred, place-based remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the setting for the emergence/recognition of sanctified waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it advances the plot toward the sacred water (jala-āśaya) motif.