Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

किमादिनाम देवस्य कथं पूज्यो नरोत्तमैः । कथं पाशुपतास्तत्र सदेहाः स्वर्गमागताः

Transliteration

kimādināma devasya kathaṃ pūjyo narottamaiḥ | kathaṃ pāśupatāstatra sadehāḥ svargamāgatāḥ

Translation

ആ ദേവൻ ‘ആദി’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് പ്രസിദ്ധൻ? ഉത്തമന്മാർ എങ്ങനെ അവനെ പൂജിക്കണം? അവിടെ പാശുപത ഭക്തർ ദേഹസഹിതം സ്വർഗ്ഗം എങ്ങനെ പ്രാപിച്ചു?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• आदिनाम्: of the beginnings/first rites
• आदिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘आदीनाम्’ = of the beginnings/starting points (etc.)

• देवस्य: of the god (Lord)
• देवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• पूज्यः: to be worshipped / worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), भावे/कर्मणि—‘पूज्य’ = worship-worthy; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरोत्तमैः: by the best of men
• नरोत्तमैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (कर्ता/करण), बहुवचन; ‘नराणाम् उत्तमैः’ (by the best of men)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• पाशुपताः: the Pāśupatas
• पाशुपताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सदेहाः: with their bodies
• सदेहाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘देहेन सह’ (with body, embodied)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगताः: came/attained
• आगताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग—‘have come’

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī), asking Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning devotee asks three pointed questions: why the deity is called Ādi, how the best of men worship him, and how Pāśupata devotees attained heaven with their bodies—set before a luminous liṅga in Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Ādi (as a divine epithet)
• Pāśupata (Śaiva devotees)
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion joined with disciplined Śaiva observance (Pāśupata) is portrayed as powerful enough to transform even bodily destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the proper method of worship and the Pāśupata observance; details are expected in the subsequent reply.