Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तान्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयाविष्टो मुक्त्वा वीणां प्रयत्नतः । पप्रच्छ देवं ब्रह्माणं किमिदं कौतुकं विभो

Transliteration

tāndṛṣṭvā vismayāviṣṭo muktvā vīṇāṃ prayatnataḥ | papraccha devaṃ brahmāṇaṃ kimidaṃ kautukaṃ vibho

Translation

Al verlos, Nārada, sobrecogido de asombro, dejó con cuidado la vīṇā y preguntó al dios Brahmā: «Oh Señor, ¿qué prodigio es éste?»

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया); Absolutive/gerund

• विस्मयाविष्टः: filled with wonder
• विस्मयाविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + आविष्ट (√विश् → आविष्ट, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'entered by astonishment'

• मुक्त्वा: having released
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया); Absolutive/gerund

• वीणाम्: the vīṇā
• वीणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, carefully
• प्रयत्नतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय; manner adverb

• पप्रच्छ: he asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect: 'asked'

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (addressed object)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (apposition to देवम्)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• कौतुकम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate/accusative in question

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, astonished, gently sets aside his vīṇā and turns toward four-faced Brahmā, palms joined, asking about a wondrous event; subtle aura around unseen ‘notes’ hints at personified svaras.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā
• Vīṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry before the divine (praśna) is upheld as a path to understanding sacred order and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing narrative serves the Nāradeśvara Māhātmya within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the moment of questioning that leads to the forthcoming explanation.