Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कृष्णे क्षयश्च ते चंद्र शुक्ले वृद्धिर्भविष्यति । वरं वरय भद्रं ते अन्यमिष्टं सुदुर्ल्लभम्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇe kṣayaśca te caṃdra śukle vṛddhirbhaviṣyati | varaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te anyamiṣṭaṃ sudurllabham

Translation

ഹേ ചന്ദ്രാ! കൃഷ്ണപക്ഷത്തിൽ നിനക്കു ക്ഷയം സംഭവിക്കും; ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ നിനക്കു വർദ്ധി സംഭവിക്കും. നിനക്കു മംഗളം വരട്ടെ—ഇപ്പോൾ മറ്റൊരു വരം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുക; അതി ദുർലഭമായതായാലും ഇഷ്ടമായതായാലും।

Word by Word

• कृष्णे: in the dark fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa)
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षयः: waning/decline
• क्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• चंद्र: O Moon
• चंद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुक्ले: in the bright fortnight (śukla-pakṣa)
• शुक्ले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृद्धिः: increase/growth
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरय: choose/ask for
• वरय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• भद्रम्: good fortune/well-being
• भद्रम्: Sambandha (Benediction/आशीः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); आशीर्वादार्थक-प्रयोग (benedictive usage)

• ते: to you/for you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इष्टम्: desired
• इष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इष्/इच्छ्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Candra (Soma/Niśākara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Candra, explaining the ordained waning in the dark fortnight and waxing in the bright fortnight, urging him to choose another boon; the tīrtha’s pure waters glimmer nearby under a night sky.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśvara)
• Candra
• Kṛṣṇa-pakṣa
• Śukla-pakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace may transform suffering into a balanced rhythm rather than erase consequences, sustaining cosmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The boon is granted in the Arbuda-māhātmya setting, highlighting Arbuda as a place where Śiva reveals cosmic principles.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse provides a cosmological ordinance (waning/waxing) and invites the seeker to request an additional boon.