Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणुष्वावहिता भूत्वा पृष्टोऽहं यस्त्वयाऽधुना । निष्फलं तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि वस्तुतत्त्वं यथास्थितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇuṣvāvahitā bhūtvā pṛṣṭo'haṃ yastvayā'dhunā | niṣphalaṃ tatpravakṣyāmi vastutattvaṃ yathāsthitam

Translation

ಈಶ್ವರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಏಕಾಗ್ರವಾಗಿ ಕೇಳು. ನೀನು ಈಗ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಶ್ನಿಸಿದ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ, ಯಥಾಸ್ಥಿತವಾದ ವಾಸ್ತವ ತತ್ತ್ವವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ; ತಪ್ಪು ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಹೋದರೆ ಅದು ಹೇಗೆ ನಿಷ್ಫಲವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನೂ.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अवहिता: attentive
• अवहिता: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (कृदन्त; अव-धा धातु + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; संबोधनार्थे स्त्रीलिङ्गप्रयोग (addressing the goddess)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पृष्टः: having been asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ट (कृदन्त; प्रच्छ् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• निष्फलम्: fruitless (matter)
• निष्फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः-फल (प्रातिपदिक; निः + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्/निः-तत्पुरुष (fruitless)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वस्तुतत्त्वम्: the real truth
• वस्तुतत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु-तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; वस्तु + तत्त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (truth of the reality)

• यथास्थितम्: as it truly is
• यथास्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; यथा + स्थित(स्था धातु + क्त))
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (as it stands/in its true state)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva in teacher mode instructs Devī to listen attentively; the atmosphere is contemplative, emphasizing ‘tattva as it is’ and the caution about fruitlessness of misdirected practice.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts must be grounded in right understanding and attention; otherwise their intended spiritual fruit is lost.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse is within Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, preparing to explain Prabhāsa’s unique status.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An inward prescription is given: attentive listening and seeking the truth of the practice.