Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

यं पठंति सदा सांख्याश्चितयंति च योगिनः । परं प्रधानं पुरुषं तस्मै ज्ञेयात्मने नमः

Transliteration

yaṃ paṭhaṃti sadā sāṃkhyāścitayaṃti ca yoginaḥ | paraṃ pradhānaṃ puruṣaṃ tasmai jñeyātmane namaḥ

Translation

जिसका सदा सांख्य पाठ करते हैं और जिसे योगी ध्यान में धारण करते हैं— उस परम प्रधान, उस परात्पर पुरुष, उस ज्ञेयस्वरूप प्रभु को नमस्कार है।

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पठन्ति: recite/read
• पठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सांख्याः: Sāṃkhyas (followers of Sāṃkhya)
• सांख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃkhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• चितयन्ति: contemplate/think upon
• चितयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cit (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• योगिनः: yogins
• योगिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रधानम्/पुरुषम् प्रति)

• प्रधानम्: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरुषम्: Puruṣa (spirit/person)
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञेयात्मने: to the one whose essence is to be known
• ज्ञेयात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñeya-ātman (प्रातिपदिक; ज्ञेय + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञेयस्य आत्मा = whose nature is knowable/known)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय; नमः-प्रयोगः (salutation particle, governs dative)

Speaker

Candra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra’s hymn turns philosophical: sages (Sāṃkhyas) recite, yogins meditate, and above them Śiva is envisioned as the transcendent Puruṣa—still, luminous, beyond form—while the liṅga anchors the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Śiva (implied as the praised Lord)
• Sāṃkhyas
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord praised here transcends sectarian boundaries—recognized by both philosophical inquiry (Sāṃkhya) and meditative realization (Yoga).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the hymn frames Śiva as the metaphysical ground and the object of realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative contemplation (yogic citana) and scriptural recitation/study (paṭhana) are implicitly commended.