Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

किमेतत्कारणं देव कथयस्व महेश्वर । अमृते संभवो यस्य कथं तस्यापि लांछनम्

Transliteration

kimetatkāraṇaṃ deva kathayasva maheśvara | amṛte saṃbhavo yasya kathaṃ tasyāpi lāṃchanam

Translation

ഹേ ദേവാ, ഹേ മഹേശ്വരാ! ഈ കാരണമെന്തെന്ന് പറയുക. അമൃതത്തിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ചവനിലും ലാഞ്ഛനം എങ്ങനെ ഉണ്ടായി?

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karta (Interrogative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक

• कारणम्: cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देव: O God
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; नामधातु from कथा)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• अमृते: in nectar (amṛta)
• अमृते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative: ‘in/from nectar/immortality’)

• सम्भवः: origin, birth
• सम्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-भू (धातु) → सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (how?)

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• लाञ्छनम्: mark, stigma
• लाञ्छनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाञ्छन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha/Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience; immediate addressee is Maheśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī points to the Moon—born of amṛta—yet marked; Śiva is asked to reconcile the paradox. The moonlight falls on the Prabhāsa shore, highlighting the ‘lāñchana’ as a dark patch on a luminous disc.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Soma (Candra)
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Immortality or exalted origin does not negate karma and dharma; even the luminous can bear consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, the sacred region praised in this māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames a theological problem about karma and purity.