Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्रियश्च तव देवेश लांछनं चापि तिष्ठति । कौतूहलं परं देव तत्त्वं मे वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

priyaśca tava deveśa lāṃchanaṃ cāpi tiṣṭhati | kautūhalaṃ paraṃ deva tattvaṃ me vaktumarhasi

Translation

Ô Deveśa, bien qu’il te soit cher, la marque demeure. Grande est ma curiosité, ô Deva : daigne me révéler le principe véritable qui s’y cache.

Word by Word

• priyaḥ: dear, beloved
• priyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (gen. sg. pronoun)

• deveśa: O Lord of gods
• deveśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘देवानाम् ईशः’ (masc. voc. sg.)

• lāṃchanam: mark, emblem
• lāṃchanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lāṃchana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (neut. nom. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• tiṣṭhati: stands, remains
• tiṣṭhati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd sg.)

• kautūhalam: curiosity, wonder
• kautūhalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• param: great, supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (neut. acc. sg., adjective)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (masc. voc. sg.)

• tattvam: truth, principle
• tattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (dat. sg. pronoun)

• vaktum: to speak
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive)

• arhasi: you ought, you are worthy
• arhasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (अर्ह् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 2nd sg.)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha/Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience; immediate addressee is Maheśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, with deep devotion and curiosity, requests the ‘tattva’ behind Soma’s enduring blemish despite being dear to Śiva. Śiva is shown as Deveśa, tranquil, ready to teach; the moon with its mark hangs above, symbolizing unresolved karma awaiting resolution.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Soma (Candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine favor does not annul dharma; truth (tattva) must be understood beyond appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, as the narrative unfolds within its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on tattva-jijñāsā (inquiry into truth).