Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

प्रातिभः श्रावणो दैवो भ्रमावर्तोऽथ भीषणः । प्रतिभा सर्वशास्त्राणां प्रातिभोऽयं च सात्त्विकः

Transliteration

prātibhaḥ śrāvaṇo daivo bhramāvarto'tha bhīṣaṇaḥ | pratibhā sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ prātibho'yaṃ ca sāttvikaḥ

Translation

ആ (അഞ്ച്) വിഘ്നങ്ങൾ—പ്രാതിഭ, ശ്രാവണ, ദൈവ, ഭ്രമാവർത്തം, ഭീഷണം. ‘പ്രാതിഭ’ സാത്ത്വിക ശക്തി—സകല ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളെയും സംബന്ധിച്ച സൂക്ഷ്മ അന്തഃപ്രജ്ഞ।

Word by Word

• प्रातिभः: (one) called Prātibha
• प्रातिभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रावणः: (one) called Śrāvaṇa
• श्रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• दैवः: (one) called Daiva
• दैवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भ्रमावर्तः: Bhramāvarta (whirl of delusion)
• भ्रमावर्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रम-आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भ्रमस्य आवर्तः = whirl of delusion)

• अथ: and/then
• अथ: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (and/then)

• भीषणः: terrible
• भीषणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (उपसर्ग-नाम)

• प्रतिभा: intuition, insight
• प्रतिभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वशास्त्राणाम्: of all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि शास्त्राणि)

• प्रातिभः: Prātibha
• प्रातिभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रातिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• सात्त्विकः: sattvic, pure
• सात्त्विकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अयम्/प्रातिभः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-nandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five labeled emblems around a meditating yogin: a radiant book-light (Prātibha), an ear with distant sound-waves (Śrāvaṇa), a celestial hand of ‘fate’ (Daiva), a swirling vortex (Bhramāvarta), and a dark looming mask (Bhīṣaṇa).

Characters & Entities

• Prātibha
• Śrāvaṇa
• Daiva
• Bhramāvarta
• Bhīṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary abilities and insights can become obstacles if they inflate ego or distract from liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse catalogues yogic obstacles (upasargas) and defines Prātibha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a diagnostic teaching about inner phenomena arising in practice.