Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । शरीरस्थं शिरो मुख्यं यस्मात्पर्वतनन्दिनि । महत्त्विदं शिरः प्रोक्तं त्वया स्कन्देन योजितम्

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | śarīrasthaṃ śiro mukhyaṃ yasmātparvatanandini | mahattvidaṃ śiraḥ proktaṃ tvayā skandena yojitam

Translation

ശ്രീഭഗവാൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—“ഹേ പർവതനന്ദിനി, ശരീരത്തിലുള്ള അവയവങ്ങളിൽ ശിരസ്സാണ് പ്രധാനമായത്; അതുകൊണ്ട് ഈ ‘ശിരസ്’ മഹത്തായതായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. നീ ഇത് സ്കന്ദനോടൊപ്പം ചേർത്ത് സ്ഥാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्रीमान् भगवान्’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शरीरस्थम्: situated in the body
• शरीरस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘शरीरे स्थितम्’

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुख्यम्: principal, foremost
• मुख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• यस्मात्: because (from which reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (causal)

• पर्वतनन्दिनि: O daughter of the mountain (Pārvatī)
• पर्वतनन्दिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘पर्वतस्य नन्दिनी’ (daughter of the mountain)

• महत्त्व्: greatness
• महत्त्व्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संधौ ‘महत्त्विदम्’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: has been declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्कन्देन: with Skanda
• स्कन्देन: Sahakari (Association/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• योजितम्: joined, connected
• योजितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु) → योजित (णिच् + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda/Arbudācala

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (parvatanandinī/nagātmajā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Pārvatī (‘parvatanandinī’), proclaiming the greatness of ‘Śiras/Head’ as foremost in the body; Skanda is referenced as co-establisher, suggesting a consecration moment.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It establishes sacred hierarchy: as the head leads the body, so divine leadership and auspicious beginnings are to be honored first.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda (Mount Abu) sacred region within the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa’s Arbuda-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it provides theological grounding for Mahāvināyaka’s primacy.