Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

कल्पभेदेन नामानि तथैव सुरसुन्दरि । निरुक्तभेदैर्बहुधा भिद्यंते कारणैः प्रिये । प्रभासमिति यन्नाम दातव्यं निश्चलं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

kalpabhedena nāmāni tathaiva surasundari | niruktabhedairbahudhā bhidyaṃte kāraṇaiḥ priye | prabhāsamiti yannāma dātavyaṃ niścalaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Ô beauté céleste, selon la diversité des kalpa, les noms eux aussi varient ; et, bien-aimée, par des dérivations (nirukta) différentes, ils se divisent de multiples façons pour diverses raisons. Pourtant, le nom qu’il faut donner avec constance est « Prabhāsa » — on le tient pour immuable.

Word by Word

• kalpabhedena: by the difference of aeons
• kalpabhedena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa + bheda (कल्प + भेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘कल्पस्य भेदः’); करणार्थे

• nāmāni: names
• nāmāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (नामन्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• tathā: thus, in that manner
• tathā: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (तथा; अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव; अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक निपात

• surasundari: O beautiful goddess
• surasundari: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + sundarī (सुर + सुन्दरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘सुरा सुन्दरी’/‘देवसुन्दरी’)

• niruktabhedaiḥ: by differences of etymology/derivation
• niruktabhedaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirukta + bheda (निरुक्त + भेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘निरुक्तस्य भेदः’); करणार्थे

• bahudhā: in many ways
• bahudhā: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahudhā (बहुधा; अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; बहुप्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• bhidyante: are divided/differ
• bhidyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhid (भिद् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (are differentiated)

• kāraṇaiḥ: by reasons/causes
• kāraṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Reason/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (कारण; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रिय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; प्रिय-शब्दः (address)

• prabhāsa: Prabhāsa
• prabhāsa: Visheshya (Apposition/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रभास; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘प्रभास’ इति नाम

• iti: thus (called)
• iti: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (इति; अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणार्थक निपात

• yat: which
• yat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (यद्; सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक यत्-शब्दः

• nāma: name
• nāma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (नामन्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• dātavyam: to be given/assigned
• dātavyam: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + tavya (तव्य-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), विधेय-विशेषण (to be given/assigned)

• niścalam: firm, unchanging
• niścalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala (निश्चल; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• smṛtam: is said/recorded
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + kta (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘स्मृतम्’ = declared/remembered (as)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as sura-sundarī/priye)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau showing successive kalpas as layered horizons, while the word ‘Prabhāsa’ remains luminous and unchanged above the enduring coastline/temple.

Characters & Entities

• Kalpa
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Traditions may explain sanctity in many ways, but the tīrtha’s essential identity remains stable and worthy of faithful remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa—affirmed as the fixed and authoritative name of the kṣetra/tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A naming injunction is implied: the kṣetra should consistently be designated as ‘Prabhāsa’.