Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

क्षुभ संचलने धातुर्निश्चला तेन निक्षुभा । भवंति ह्यथवा यस्मात्स्वांगीयाः क्षुद्विवर्जिताः

Transliteration

kṣubha saṃcalane dhāturniścalā tena nikṣubhā | bhavaṃti hyathavā yasmātsvāṃgīyāḥ kṣudvivarjitāḥ

Translation

‘ക്ഷുഭ്’ ധാതു ‘ചലനം/ക്ഷോഭം’ അർത്ഥത്തിൽ; അവൾ നിശ്ചലയായതിനാൽ ‘നിക്ഷുഭാ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അവളുടെ സ്വന്തം ദേഹത്തിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ചവർ ക്ഷുധാരഹിതരാകുന്നതിനാൽ।

Word by Word

• क्षुभ: the root ‘kṣubh’
• क्षुभ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुभ् (धातु)
• Form: धातुनिर्देशरूपेण (as root-name), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (lexical)

• संचलने: in moving, in agitation
• संचलने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संचलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• धातुः: a verbal root
• धातुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• निश्चला: unmoving, fixed
• निश्चला: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying धातुः/धातु-शब्दः)

• तेन: by that, therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निक्षुभा: unagitated, not shaken
• निक्षुभा: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-क्षुभ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित); नि + क्षुभ
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (name/epithet)

• भवन्ति: they become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-समुच्चय (conjunction: or)

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• स्वाङ्गीयाः: belonging to one’s own body
• स्वाङ्गीयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-अङ्गीय (प्रातिपदिक); स्व + अङ्गीय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षुद्विवर्जिताः: free from hunger
• क्षुद्विवर्जिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त); क्षुद् + वि-√वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm feminine figure symbolizing Nikṣubhā stands unmoving amid swirling winds (kṣubh) that cannot disturb her; nearby, serene children/offspring appear content, untouched by hunger.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Nikṣubhā
• kṣubh (verbal root)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadiness (niścalatā) is praised as a spiritual quality; language itself is used to teach dharmic virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, where sacred meaning is revealed through Śiva’s speech.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; it is a doctrinal and etymological explanation.