Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

किमर्थमागतस्तत्र कस्मिन्काले सुरोत्तमः । कथं स पूज्यो विप्रेंद्रैस्तिथौ कस्यां क्रमाद्वद

Transliteration

kimarthamāgatastatra kasminkāle surottamaḥ | kathaṃ sa pūjyo vipreṃdraistithau kasyāṃ kramādvada

Translation

ആ ദേവോത്തമൻ അവിടെ എന്തിനാണ് വന്നത്? ഏത് കാലത്താണ് വന്നത്? ബ്രാഹ്മണശ്രേഷ്ഠർ ഏതു തിഥിയിൽ, എങ്ങനെ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ പൂജിക്കണം—ക്രമമായി പറയുക।

Word by Word

• किम्-अर्थम्: for what purpose / why
• किम्-अर्थम्: Hetu (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थम् (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय = 'for what purpose/why'

• आगतः: has come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having come' (of surottamaḥ)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय = 'there'

• कस्मिन्: in which
• कस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Interrogative location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'in which'

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative = 'at what time'

• सुर-उत्तमः: the best of the gods
• सुर-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः = तत्पुरुष ('best among the gods')

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prakara (Interrogative manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय = 'how'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• पूज्यः: is to be worshipped
• पूज्यः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज्)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'to be worshipped'

• विप्र-इन्द्रैः: by the foremost Brahmins
• विप्र-इन्द्रैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः = तत्पुरुष ('chief Brahmins'); instrumental = 'by'

• तिथौ: on the tithi (lunar day)
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative = 'on which lunar day'

• कस्याम्: on which
• कस्याम्: Adhikarana (Interrogative time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'on which (fem.)'

• क्रमात्: in order
• क्रमात्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ablative used adverbially = 'in due order/step by step'

• वद: tell (me)
• वद: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; √वद् = to speak/tell

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Mahātīrtha (Brahmā-sthāna inquiry)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī presses for details: why Brahmā came, when he arrived, and the exact tithi and method by which leading brāhmaṇas should worship him; a didactic, ritual-manual tone in a sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇas)
• Tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic devotion is orderly: it asks for purpose, time, and correct ritual method aligned with sacred calendar and place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, with the narrative focusing on Brahmā’s presence and worship within that tīrtha-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests details of pūjā by brāhmaṇas and the relevant tithi, signaling a calendrical worship observance (details follow in subsequent verses).