Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

कदाचित्सोमपर्वण्यागते सोमोपनायकम् । नानादेशान्महीपाल ह्यसंख्याताश्च मानवाः

Transliteration

kadācitsomaparvaṇyāgate somopanāyakam | nānādeśānmahīpāla hyasaṃkhyātāśca mānavāḥ

Translation

Un jour, lorsque vint la fête de Soma, ô roi, d’innombrables hommes, venus de maints pays, arrivèrent en apportant des offrandes pour le rite de Soma.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once
• कदाचित्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: ‘once/sometime’)

• सोमपर्वणि: on the Soma festival day
• सोमपर्वणि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• आगते: when it had come/arrived
• आगते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘having come/when (it) arrived’ (locative absolute with पर्वणि)

• सोमोपनायकम्: the leader/guide of Soma (procession)
• सोमोपनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + उपनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• नानादेशान्: from various countries/regions
• नानादेशान्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नाना=विविध); पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन

• महीपाल: O king
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: ‘indeed’)

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya (contextual purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Soma-parvan at Prabhāsa/Somnath (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahīpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On Soma-parvan, innumerable pilgrims stream in from many regions carrying pots, flowers, bilva, lamps, and gifts; the temple precinct is alive with banners, drums, and ritual movement.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Somaparva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred times (parva-days) draw collective devotion; communal pilgrimage is portrayed as a powerful expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Somaparva context aligns with the Prabhāsa–Somanātha sacred setting described in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation in Somaparva, including bringing offerings/presentations connected with Soma’s observance.