Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भगवांस्त्रिपुरांतकः । अंगुष्ठं ताडयामास अंगुल्यग्रेण भामिनि

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhagavāṃstripurāṃtakaḥ | aṃguṣṭhaṃ tāḍayāmāsa aṃgulyagreṇa bhāmini

Translation

Īśvara dit : « Ayant entendu ses paroles, le Seigneur Bienheureux — Tripurāntaka — frappa son propre pouce du bout de son doigt, ô belle. »

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्रिपुरान्तकः: destroyer of Tripura (Śiva)
• त्रिपुरान्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक); त्रिपुरस्य अन्तकः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अङ्गुष्ठम्: thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताडयामास: struck, tapped
• ताडयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect; periphrastic), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अङ्गुल्यग्रेण: with the tip of the finger
• अङ्गुल्यग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक); अङ्गुल्याः अग्रेण
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• भामिनि: O radiant lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva), in narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tripurāntaka, hearing the sage’s words, taps/strikes his thumb with the tip of his finger—an understated yet potent gesture foreshadowing a miraculous manifestation.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Tripurāntaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine authority can reveal deeper truth; human claims of attainment are measured against Śiva’s effortless power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śiva’s greatness is celebrated through narrative marvels.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a divine act (līlā) used to teach and correct understanding.