Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्राह्म्यं वा वैष्णवं शाक्रं पदमन्यत्सुदुर्लभम् । ददामि नात्र संदेहो भक्त्या संप्रीणितस्तव

Transliteration

brāhmyaṃ vā vaiṣṇavaṃ śākraṃ padamanyatsudurlabham | dadāmi nātra saṃdeho bhaktyā saṃprīṇitastava

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മപദമോ, വൈഷ്ണവപദമോ, ശാക്രപദമോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മറ്റേതെങ്കിലും അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭമായ സ്ഥിതിയോ—നിന്റെ ഭക്തിയിൽ സന്തുഷ്ടനായി ഞാൻ നൽകുന്നു; ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• brāhmyaṃ: Brahmā’s (state/realm)
• brāhmyaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘Brahmā-related’ (as object)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• vaiṣṇavam: Viṣṇu’s (state/realm)
• vaiṣṇavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• śākram: Indra’s (state/realm)
• śākram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śākra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• padam: abode, position
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• anyat: other
• anyat: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• sudurlabham: very difficult to obtain
• sudurlabham: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘very hard to obtain’

• dadāmi: I give
• dadāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (दा, धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• atra: here / in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this matter)

• saṃdehaḥ: doubt
• saṃdehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• bhaktyā: by devotion
• bhaktyā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental

• saṃprīṇitaḥ: (I am) pleased
• saṃprīṇitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√prī (प्री, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘pleased/satisfied’

• tava: by you / of you
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva), speaking to Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares he can grant Brahmā’s, Viṣṇu’s, or Indra’s station—any rare attainment—because he is pleased by devotion; the devotee listens in astonished humility.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Śakra)
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest cosmic attainments are secondary to devotion; bhakti moves Śiva to grant any realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where devotion is shown to yield even the rarest attainments.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it underscores bhakti as the decisive cause for divine bestowal.