Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कथं पूज्यानि तानीश के मंत्राः को विधिः स्मृतः । कस्मिन्पर्वणि काले वा सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

Transliteration

kathaṃ pūjyāni tānīśa ke maṃtrāḥ ko vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ | kasminparvaṇi kāle vā sarvaṃ vistarato vada

Translation

Comment doivent-ils être adorés, ô Seigneur ? Quels mantras faut-il employer, et quel rite est enseigné ? En quelle fête sacrée, ou à quel moment ? Dis-moi tout en détail.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय, interrogative adverb)

• पूज्यानि: to be worshipped
• पूज्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive; ‘to be worshipped’)

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• के: which/what (plural)
• के: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (interrogative pronoun used adjectivally)

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कः: what/which (one)
• कः: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun)

• विधिः: procedure, rite
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is remembered/has been stated
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त; √स्मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (interrogative)

• पर्वणि: on what lunar day/festival day
• पर्वणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• काले: at what time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक-निपात, disjunctive particle)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (used as object)

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तरतस् (अव्यय; विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्-प्रत्ययान्त; manner adverb)

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa liṅga-ekādaśaka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks for the practical manual: worship steps, mantras, and auspicious occasions—shown as ritual implements laid out before a liṅga: kalaśa, bilva leaves, lamps, incense, and a calendar-like parvan wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)
• Mantra
• Vidhi
• Parvan
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is strengthened by right knowledge—mantra, method, and auspicious timing aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, through inquiry into its eleven-liṅga worship system.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks for prescriptions: pūjā-method (vidhi), mantras, and appropriate parvan/kāla (festival/time).