Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

कति संख्याः स्युरेते च नरकाः किंप्रमाणतः । एतत्सर्वं सुरश्रेष्ठ यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

kati saṃkhyāḥ syurete ca narakāḥ kiṃpramāṇataḥ | etatsarvaṃ suraśreṣṭha yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

Combien sont ces enfers, et quelle est leur mesure ou leur étendue ? Ô meilleur des dieux, tu devrais expliquer tout cela correctement.

Word by Word

• कति: how many
• कति: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कति (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नविशेषणम्; बहुवचनार्थे (interrogative quantifier, indeclinable-like usage)

• संख्याः: numbers, counts
• संख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्युः: would be/should be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्न

• प्रमाणतः: by what measure/extent
• प्रमाणतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'in terms of/according to measure'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'एतत्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• यथावत्: properly, as it is
• यथावत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought
• अर्हसि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (unnamed interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa, now composed, asks for the count and extent of hells; Yama is shown as a judge with scroll-like records, suggesting measurement and classification.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-teaching includes clarity about consequences; precise knowledge encourages restraint and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, whose Māhātmya presents cosmological instruction as part of pilgrimage-oriented dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for systematic explanation.