Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । किमर्थं कंकणं देव क्षिप्यते लवणांभसि । तस्या पुण्यं न पूर्वोक्तं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

devyuvāca | kimarthaṃ kaṃkaṇaṃ deva kṣipyate lavaṇāṃbhasi | tasyā puṇyaṃ na pūrvoktaṃ yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

La Déesse dit : « Pour quelle raison, ô Seigneur, jette-t-on un bracelet (kankaṇa) dans la mer salée ? Son mérite n’a pas été exposé auparavant ; daigne l’expliquer correctement, tel qu’il est en vérité. »

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे कर्तृवाचक-प्रयोगः (speaker)

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

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अर्थम्: purpose
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कंकणम्: bracelet/bangle
• कंकणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंकण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपदत्वे द्वितीया

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• क्षिप्यते: is thrown
• क्षिप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• लवण-अम्भसि: in salty water (the sea)
• लवण-अम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (लवणं च तत् अम्भः)

• तस्याः: of her/of that (woman)
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘उक्तम्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Upasarga/Nipata)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• पूर्व-उक्तम्: previously stated
• पूर्व-उक्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं उक्तम्)

• यथा-वत्: properly
• यथा-वत्: Modifier (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• अर्हसि: you ought/are worthy
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-samudra-tīrtha (sea at Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deva/Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī questions the Lord on a seashore at Prabhāsa: waves, conch sounds, a bracelet held poised to be cast into the sea; the moment is suspended with ritual gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• lavaṇāmbhas (sea)
• kaṃkaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is to be understood with clarity: even symbolic rites at tīrthas have specific meanings and fruits that should be explained and performed correctly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacred seashore (lavaṇāmbhas), where tīrtha-rites are performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Casting a kaṃkaṇa (bracelet) into the sea is referenced; details are requested and are expected in the subsequent verses.