Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्य स्त्रीणां सहस्राणि चत्वार्यासन्परिग्रहाः । एकैव तु सुता शुभ्रा सुकन्यानाम नामतः

Transliteration

tasya strīṇāṃ sahasrāṇi catvāryāsanparigrahāḥ | ekaiva tu sutā śubhrā sukanyānāma nāmataḥ

Translation

Il eut quatre mille épouses ; pourtant il n’eut qu’une seule fille, radieuse, renommée sous le nom de Sukanyā.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive Singular

• स्त्रीणाम्: of wives/women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Numeral adjective, Nominative Plural (agreeing with सहस्राणि)

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — 3rd person plural (were)

• परिग्रहाः: consorts/wives (lit. ‘acquisitions’)
• परिग्रहाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — Nominative Plural (possessions/consorts)

• एका: one
• एका: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधारण/emphatic particle

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निपात/particle (contrast)

• सुता: daughter
• सुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular

• शुभ्रा: bright/fair
• शुभ्रा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular (agreeing with सुता)

• सुकन्या: Sukanyā (proper name; ‘good maiden’)
• सुकन्या: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular; समासः: कर्मधारय (सु- कन्या = ‘good/beautiful maiden’)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Specifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — नामार्थक/quotative particle (by name)

• नमतः: by name/nominally
• नमतः: Sambandha/Specifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — प्रकार/हेतुवाचक (as/according to the name); usage equivalent to ‘नामतः’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: King Śaryāti with four thousand queens in the background, while the single radiant princess Sukanyā stands highlighted, foreshadowing her pivotal role.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Śaryāti
• Sukanyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narratives often highlight the rare, dharma-shaping individual (Sukanyā) amid worldly abundance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the ongoing setting into which these characters enter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides narrative and genealogical context.