Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सुखासीनं महादेवं जगतः कारणं परम् । पप्रच्छ षण्मुखो भक्त्या सर्वलोकहितोद्यतः

Transliteration

sukhāsīnaṃ mahādevaṃ jagataḥ kāraṇaṃ param | papraccha ṣaṇmukho bhaktyā sarvalokahitodyataḥ

Translation

സുഖാസീനനായി ഇരുന്ന, ജഗത്തിന്റെ പരമകാരണമാകുന്ന മഹാദേവനോട്, സർവ്വലോകഹിതത്തിനായി ഉത്സുകനായ ഷൺമുഖൻ (സ്കന്ദൻ) ഭക്തിയോടെ ചോദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• sukhāsīnam: seated comfortably
• sukhāsīnam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: सुखेन आसीनः (seated comfortably); ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: महान् देवः

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• kāraṇam: the cause
• kāraṇam: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (appositional)

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कāraṇam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced one)
• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: षण्मुखानि यस्य सः (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• sarvalokahitodyataḥ: intent on the welfare of all worlds
• sarvalokahitodyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + udyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: सर्वलोकस्य हिते उद्यतः; ‘षण्मुखः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: unspecified (implied audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva seated in relaxed majesty (sukhāsīna), serene and luminous; Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) stands or kneels with folded hands, asking with devotion for the good of all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional inquiry to the divine teacher (Śiva) is portrayed as a compassionate act for the benefit of all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue is situated in Dvārakā Māhātmya, connecting the teaching-stream to Dvārakā’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the question-and-answer teaching.