Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नन्दिकेश्वर उवाच । शासनाद्देवदेवस्य भवतां पार्श्वमागतः । आज्ञापयति देवेशस्तपस्विगणमण्डलम्

Transliteration

nandikeśvara uvāca | śāsanāddevadevasya bhavatāṃ pārśvamāgataḥ | ājñāpayati deveśastapasvigaṇamaṇḍalam

Translation

Nandikeśvara dit : «Par l’ordre du Dieu des dieux, je suis venu en votre présence. Le Seigneur des dieux adresse un commandement à cette assemblée d’ascètes.»

Word by Word

• nandikeśvaraḥ: Nandikeśvara
• nandikeśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandin (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “Nandin’s lord / Lord Nandin” (proper name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śāsanāt: by command; from the order
• śāsanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• devadevasya: of the God of gods
• devadevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः— “god of gods”

• bhavatām: of you (hon.)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आदरार्थ), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• pārśvam: to the side; presence
• pārśvam: Adhikaraṇa (Goal/location as object/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• āgataḥ: has come; arrived
• āgataḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त (PPP used adjectivally) — “having come/arrived”

• ājñāpayati: commands; orders
• ājñāpayati: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ājñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• deveśaḥ: the Lord of gods
• deveśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “Lord of gods”

• tapasvi-gaṇa-maṇḍalam: the assembly of groups of ascetics
• tapasvi-gaṇa-maṇḍalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “of ascetics” + “group” + “assembly/circle”

Speaker

Nandikeśvara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Pāśupateśvara-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tapassvigaṇa/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandīkeśvara stands before a semicircle of ascetics, right hand raised in formal address, the lotus-stalk held as a sign; behind him the liṅga shrine glows with lamps, conveying that the message comes from the deity’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Tapasvigaṇa (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine instruction should be received with reverence; a messenger of dharma speaks with Śiva’s authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose narrative Śiva’s command and sacred movement are described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; this verse conveys a formal divine summons to ascetics.