Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । कथमुन्नतनामास्य बभूव सुरसत्तम । कथं त्वया बलाद्दत्तं कियत्सीमासमन्वितम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | kathamunnatanāmāsya babhūva surasattama | kathaṃ tvayā balāddattaṃ kiyatsīmāsamanvitam

Translation

La Déesse dit : « Ô le meilleur des dieux, comment ce lieu en vint-il à porter le nom d’“Unnata” ? Et comment l’as-tu donné “par la force” ? Jusqu’où s’étendent ses frontières ? »

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, 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

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• उन्नतनामा: having the name ‘Unnata’
• उन्नतनामा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य नाम उन्नतम्’

• अस्य: of this (place)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बभूव: became; came to be
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सुरसत्तम: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instr./करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); हेत्वर्थे

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• कियत्: how much? how great?
• कियत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक विशेषण

• सीमासम्: boundaries
• सीमासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural) (पाठ: सीमासः/सीमाः इत्यर्थे)

• अन्वितम्: endowed with; accompanied by
• अन्वितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि (धातु) / अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnata (Prabhāsa-kṣetra sub-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, seated beside Īśvara in a serene sacred landscape, asks about the origin of the name ‘Unnata’, the forceful bestowal, and the extent of its boundaries; the background hints at coastal Prabhāsa with tīrtha markers.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśvara (implied addressee)
• Unnata-sthāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are not only praised but also explained—name, origin, and boundaries are part of preserving tīrtha-tradition and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Unnata-sthāna within Prabhāsakṣetra, whose naming and extent are being inquired into.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an inquiry that sets up the forthcoming māhātmya explanation.