Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

विना मंत्रं विना पर्व क्षुरकर्म विना नरैः । कुशाग्रेणापि देवेशि न स्प्रष्टव्यो महोदधिः

Transliteration

vinā maṃtraṃ vinā parva kṣurakarma vinā naraiḥ | kuśāgreṇāpi deveśi na spraṣṭavyo mahodadhiḥ

Translation

Sin mantra, sin la ocasión debida de parvan y sin el rito de afeitarse realizado por los hombres, oh Señora de los Dioses, no debe tocarse el gran océano, ni siquiera con la punta de una brizna de kuśa.

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय (without)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘विना’ योगे

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय (without)

• पर्व: festival/holy occasion
• पर्व: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विना’ योगे

• क्षुरकर्म: razor-rite; shaving act
• क्षुरकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘क्षुरस्य कर्म’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय (without)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• कुशाग्रेण: with the tip of a kuśa grass
• कुशाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘कुशस्य अग्रेण’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक अव्यय (even/also)

• देवेशि: O Lady of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• स्प्रष्टव्यः: to be touched (should be touched)
• स्प्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) → स्प्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory passive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निषेधेन ‘न स्प्रष्टव्यः’ = ‘must not be touched’

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् उदधिः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva to Devī (Pārvatī) (deduced from address 'deveśi')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Samudra (Mahodadhi/Lavaṇodadhi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Deveśi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest holds up a kuśa blade, indicating that even symbolic contact is forbidden without mantra, parva, and kṣura-karma; pilgrims stand respectfully at the waterline.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)
• Kuśa grass

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is approached through discipline; purity, timing, and mantra safeguard the rite’s sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘great ocean’ pertains to the Prabhāsa coastal sacred geography where regulated sea-contact is part of the pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not touch the ocean unless mantra, proper parvan context, and shaving rite have been duly completed.