Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । नाम्नां सहस्रं मे ब्रूहि प्रसादाञ्छंकर प्रभो । तुल्यं नामसहस्रस्य किमप्यन्यत्प्रकीर्तय

Transliteration

devyuvāca | nāmnāṃ sahasraṃ me brūhi prasādāñchaṃkara prabho | tulyaṃ nāmasahasrasya kimapyanyatprakīrtaya

Translation

La Déesse dit : «Par grâce, ô Seigneur Śaṅkara, dis-moi les mille Noms. Et proclame aussi quelque autre pratique dont le mérite égale celui d’une litanie de mille noms».

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम्नाम्: of names
• नाम्नाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रसादात्: out of grace
• प्रसादात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तुल्यम्: equal
• तुल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• नामसहस्रस्य: of the thousand-names (hymn)
• नामसहस्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāma (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (name+thousand = ‘thousand of names’)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• अन्यत्: another (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकीर्तय: proclaim / tell
• प्रकीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara/Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī seated respectfully before Śaṅkara in a sacred grove/temple precinct near the sea; Devī’s hands in añjali, Śaṅkara calm, ready to teach; palm-leaf manuscript and rosary symbolize transmission.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion seeks both knowledge of sacred names and practical alternatives that sustain worship for different capacities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, the setting of the Māhātmya where such teachings on Sūrya worship are revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request is made for the nāma-sahasra and for another practice (a stotra) considered equal in merit.