Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कल्याणि पश्यपश्यैतौ ममांशाच्च समुद्भवौ । बीभत्साद्भुतशृंगारधारिणौ हास्यकारिणौ

Transliteration

kalyāṇi paśyapaśyaitau mamāṃśācca samudbhavau | bībhatsādbhutaśṛṃgāradhāriṇau hāsyakāriṇau

Translation

Ô bienheureuse, regarde—regarde ces deux-là, nés d’une part de mon propre être. Ils portent les saveurs du terrible, du merveilleux et de l’érotique, et ils suscitent le rire.

Word by Word

• कल्याणि: O auspicious one
• कल्याणि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्याणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पश्य: see
• पश्य: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पश्य: see (again)
• पश्य: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (पुनरुक्ति—emphatic repetition)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2), द्विवचन (as object of ‘see’)

• मम: my
• मम: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• अंशात्: from (my) portion
• अंशात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन (ablative: “from a portion”)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• समुद्भवौ: arisen; born
• समुद्भवौ: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद् + √भू (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; क्त (arisen/produced)

• बीभत्स: the terrible (disgusting) sentiment
• बीभत्स: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग; रस/भावनाम)

• अद्भुत: the wondrous sentiment
• अद्भुत: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग; रस/भावनाम)

• शृंगार: the erotic sentiment
• शृंगार: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंगार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग; रस/भावनाम)

• धारिणौ: bearing; possessing
• धारिणौ: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारिन् (√धृ धातु; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: (बीभत्स+अद्भुत+शृंगार)ं धारयतः (bearing)

• हास्य: laughter; comic sentiment
• हास्य: Compound member
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग; हास्य-रस)

• कारिणौ: causing; producing
• कारिणौ: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारिन् (√कृ धातु; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: हास्यं करोति इति (causing laughter)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced; addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (addressed as Kalyāṇī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva points out two newly manifested beings to Pārvatī; they appear as twin guardians with contrasting expressions—one fierce and grotesque, one alluring—yet both playful, eliciting laughter amid awe.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Two beings (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine can manifest multiple ‘rasas’ (moods) simultaneously—terrifying, wondrous, and charming—yet all serve a cosmic purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s glorification, preparing the listener for the sanctity of the locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is mythic description establishing sacred context.