Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

पुंस्त्रीविकाररूपाय नमश्चंद्रार्द्धधारिणे । नमोग्नये सहोमाय आदित्यवरुणाय च

Transliteration

puṃstrīvikārarūpāya namaścaṃdrārddhadhāriṇe | namognaye sahomāya ādityavaruṇāya ca

Translation

Salutations to You who appear in the transformations of male and female, and to You who bear the crescent-moon as an ornament. Salutations to You as Fire together with the sacrificial oblation, and as the Sun and Varuṇa as well.

Word by Word

• पुंस्-स्त्री-विकार-रूपाय: to the one whose form is the transformation into male and female
• पुंस्-स्त्री-विकार-रूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + विकार (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुंसः स्त्रियाश्च विकारः रूपं यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), नमस्कारार्थे

• चन्द्र-अर्ध-धारिणे: to the bearer of the half-moon
• चन्द्र-अर्ध-धारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + धृ (धातु) → धारिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; धारिन्-शब्दः (धृ धातोः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात), नमस्कारार्थे

• अग्नये: to Agni (fire)
• अग्नये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• स-होमाय: to the one accompanied by oblation (homa)
• स-होमाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभावः (होमेन सह/सहितः)

• आदित्य-वरुणाय: to Āditya and Varuṇa
• आदित्य-वरुणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (आदित्यश्च वरुणश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

Speaker

Devī (addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with the crescent moon in matted hair, surrounded by symbolic presences: Agni as a sacrificial flame with oblation, the Sun as a radiant disc, and Varuṇa as oceanic lord—while subtle androgynous (male/female) duality is suggested in the form.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śiva
• Agni
• Āditya
• Varuṇa
• Candra (crescent moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as the one Reality manifesting as gendered forms and as cosmic deities, teaching non-dual reverence through many names.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region) is the setting of this stotra within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa is alluded to through “sa-homāya,” linking Śiva with Agni and the sacrificial offering, implying worship through fire-ritual and mantra.