Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

उद्देशमात्रं कथितो मया ते श्रीसोमनाथस्य कृतैकदेशः । अब्दैरनेकैर्बहुभिर्युगैर्वा न शक्यमेकेन मुखेन वक्तुम्

Transliteration

uddeśamātraṃ kathito mayā te śrīsomanāthasya kṛtaikadeśaḥ | abdairanekairbahubhiryugairvā na śakyamekena mukhena vaktum

Translation

私はただ端緒を示したにすぎない――吉祥なるソーマナータの御業の、ほんの一部である。幾年を重ねようと、数え尽くせぬ歳月を費やそうと、あるいは多くのユガに及ぼうとも、一つの口で余すところなく語り尽くすことはできない。

Word by Word

• उद्देशमात्रम्: only an outline/indication
• उद्देशमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘केवल-उद्देशः’ (mere indication)

• कथितः: has been told
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (उद्देशमात्रम् इत्यस्य कथनम्)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन

• श्रीसोमनाथस्य: of Śrī Somanātha
• श्रीसोमनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + सोमनाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृतैकदेशः: a partial portion (only partly covered)
• कृतैकदेशः: Karta (Predicate nominal/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ + क्त) + एकदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृतः एकदेशः’ = a portion that has been done/covered (i.e., partial account)

• अब्दैः: by years
• अब्दैः: Karana (Means/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अनेकैः: many
• अनेकैः: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘अब्दैः’)

• बहुभिः: numerous
• बहुभिः: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘अब्दैः/युगैः’)

• युगैः: by ages
• युगैः: Karana (Means/measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय; शक्य)
• Form: कृदन्त (potential/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘possible’

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘मुखेन’)

• मुखेन: with (one) mouth
• मुखेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/complement of ‘शक्यम्’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Somnātha (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the addressed interlocutor in the dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage gestures humbly toward the towering Somnātha shrine and the endless sea, indicating that the temple’s deeds and glory stretch beyond time—years, yugas—while a listener sits attentive with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Somanātha (Somnātha)
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya of Somnātha is portrayed as immeasurable—human speech can only point toward it, not exhaust it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha/Someśvara in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a concluding emphasis on the limitless greatness of the site and deity.