Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । इत्याश्चर्यमिदं देव त्वत्तः सर्वं मया श्रुतम् । महिमानं महेशस्य विस्तरेण समुद्भवम् । सांप्रतं सोमनाथस्य यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

devyuvāca | ityāścaryamidaṃ deva tvattaḥ sarvaṃ mayā śrutam | mahimānaṃ maheśasya vistareṇa samudbhavam | sāṃprataṃ somanāthasya yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

The Goddess said: “O Lord, I have heard from you in full this wondrous account—the greatness of Maheśa, unfolded in detail. Now, explain to me rightly, as it truly is, what pertains to Somanātha.”

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular, Perfect, Parasmaipada)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder; marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• देव: O god; O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative verbal notion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular); भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• महिमानम्: greatness; glory
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• महेशस्य: of Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• विस्तरेण: in detail; expansively
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Manner/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular); प्रकार/उपायवाचक

• समुद्भवम्: arising; originating
• समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-भू (धातु) → समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम् (महिमानम्)

• सांप्रतम्: now; at present
• सांप्रतम्: Kala (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-अव्यय, adverb of time)

• सोमनाथस्य: of Somanātha
• सोमनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• यथावत्: properly; as it should be
• यथावत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: properly, duly)

• वक्तुम्: to speak; to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (to speak)

• अर्हसि: you ought; you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (2nd person singular, Present)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva/Mahādeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī (Devī) respectfully questions Īśvara about Somanātha’s true greatness; a calm, intimate dialogue setting, suggesting a sacred narrative transition from general Maheśa-mahimā to specific kṣetra-mahātmyam.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Somanātha
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding of a sacred place arises through humble inquiry and attentive hearing within a dharmic teacher–disciple dialogue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha, the renowned Śiva-tīrtha of Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription yet—this verse opens the inquiry that leads into yātrā-vidhi (pilgrimage procedure).