Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तथापि संप्रवक्ष्यामि तव स्नेहात्सुरेश्वरि । न पापिन इदं ब्रूयान्नैव तर्करताय वै

Transliteration

tathāpi saṃpravakṣyāmi tava snehātsureśvari | na pāpina idaṃ brūyānnaiva tarkaratāya vai

Translation

“Even so, O sovereign Goddess, out of affection for you I shall explain it. Yet one should not tell this to a sinner, nor to one addicted to disputation.”

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Discourse connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक) = “even so/however”

• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Simple future, 1st person singular, active

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन = Genitive singular “your”

• स्नेहात्: out of affection
• स्नेहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन = Masculine, Ablative singular; हेत्वर्थे = “because of”

• सुरेश्वरि: O Queen/Lady of the gods
• सुरेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-ईश्वरि (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + ईश्वरि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन = Feminine, Vocative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष “सुराणाम् ईश्वरि”

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = negation particle “not”

• पापिने: to a sinner
• पापिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन = Masculine, Dative singular; निषेधवाक्ये “to a sinner”

• इदम्: this (teaching/secret)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular

• ब्रूयात्: should say/tell
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = Optative, 3rd person singular, active; निषेधेन “should not say”

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) = “not”

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle “indeed/just”

• तर्करताय: to one addicted to argument
• तर्करताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्क-रत (प्रातिपदिक; तर्क + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन = Masculine, Dative singular; समासः तत्पुरुष “तर्के रतः” = “one devoted to disputation”

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (खलु/नूनम्-अर्थक निपात) = particle “indeed/verily”

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Secret Prabhāsa tīrtha (teaching to follow)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Sureśvarī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara, moved by affection, agrees to teach Devī but warns against sharing with sinners or quarrelsome debaters; the scene emphasizes ethical gatekeeping of sacred knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Sureśvarī (Devī/Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings require adhikāra—purity of conduct and humility—rather than sinfulness or mere love of debate.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for a Prabhāsa tīrtha’s revelation; the name and location are given in the next verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching-discipline is prescribed: do not disclose this to pāpī (sinners) or to contentious debaters.