Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

षोडशैते मया प्रश्नाः पृष्टा मे निर्णयं वद

Transliteration

ṣoḍaśaite mayā praśnāḥ pṛṣṭā me nirṇayaṃ vada

Translation

«Ces seize questions, je les ai posées ; dis-moi la conclusion décisive à leur sujet.»

Word by Word

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्याविशेषणम्; प्रथमा-बहुवचन-विशेषणरूपेण ‘एते’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Instrumental singular ‘by me’)

• प्रश्नाः: questions
• प्रश्नाः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पृष्टाः: asked
• पृष्टाः: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘प्रश्नाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Dative ‘to me/for me’)

• निर्णयम्: decision / conclusion
• निर्णयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्णय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī emphasizes the completeness of her inquiry—‘sixteen questions’—seeking Śaṅkara’s final ruling; the scene highlights scrolls/rosary and a calm teaching posture, suggesting systematic instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere inquiry seeks a clear, authoritative conclusion (nirṇaya) on dharma and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the glory of Vastrāpatha-kṣetra within the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; it introduces a set of questions to be answered.