Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

पुनः कृतांजलिपुटौ दृष्ट्वा मामूचतुस्तदा । आवयोर्भगवन्कुत्र स्थाने वासो भविष्यति

Transliteration

punaḥ kṛtāṃjalipuṭau dṛṣṭvā māmūcatustadā | āvayorbhagavankutra sthāne vāso bhaviṣyati

Translation

Alors, joignant de nouveau les mains en geste de vénération, ils me regardèrent et dirent : «Ô Seigneur, en quel lieu sera notre demeure ?»

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृताञ्जलिपुटौ: having folded hands (with joined palms)
• कृताञ्जलिपुटौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ करणे) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः ययोः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (दर्शने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ऊचतुः: they said
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (वचने)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• आवयोः: of us two
• आवयोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-द्विवचनार्थे सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (genitive)

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• स्थाने: in (what) place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरणे), एकवचन

• वासः: dwelling; residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (भवने)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Two beings (emanations previously referenced) addressing Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (forthcoming guardian-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The two manifested beings (and secondarily Devī as witness)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The two beings, hands folded, look up to Śiva and ask where they should dwell; the scene suggests a forthcoming designation of a specific spot in Prabhāsa for their shrine/guard duty.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by bhagavan)
• Two beings (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and reverence (añjali) precede divine allotment; sacred residence is granted through submission to dharma and the Lord’s will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The answer unfolds in subsequent verses pointing toward Prabhāsa in Saurāṣṭra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts devotional posture (añjali) and inquiry.