Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मानुषं रूपमाश्रित्य तमृषिं पर्यपृच्छत । विस्मयं परमं गत्वा काम्यदं कर्मणः फलम्

Transliteration

mānuṣaṃ rūpamāśritya tamṛṣiṃ paryapṛcchata | vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatvā kāmyadaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam

Translation

Prenant forme humaine, il interrogea ce rishi. Parvenu au comble de l’émerveillement, il parla du fruit de cet acte, qui accorde ce qui est désiré.

Word by Word

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम् इति विशेष्यस्य) — Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective qualifying ‘rūpam’

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• आश्रित्य: having assumed / resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive/gerund ‘having resorted to/assuming’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular; demonstrative pronoun

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• पर्यपृच्छत: they asked
• पर्यपृच्छत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person plural

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• परमम्: great/supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विस्मयम् इति) — Masculine, Accusative singular; adjective

• गत्वा: having attained
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive ‘having gone/attained’

• काम्यदम्: granting desired (boons)
• काम्यदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (काम्यं ददाति इति) — Neuter, Accusative singular; ‘giving desired (result)’

• कर्मणः: of the act/rite
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive singular

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative singular (context: object of inquiry)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Huṃkāra-udbhava-kunda (descriptive; implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rescued deer stands by the water’s edge; a luminous shift occurs as it assumes human form—hands folded or raised in questioning—addressing the serene sage, while the kunda glistens behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Sage (ṛṣi, Taṇḍī implied)
• Deer transformed (mṛga → mānuṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-grace can uplift even fallen states of birth; wonder leads to inquiry and recognition of dharmic causality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The huṃkāra-associated sacred water site on the Devikā riverbank in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes the fruit (phala) of a compassionate, spiritually potent act.