Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहा देवि ब्रह्माण्डेऽस्मिन्मनस्विनि । संख्यातुं नैव शक्यन्ते ये भविष्यंति ये गताः

Transliteration

candrasūryagrahā devi brahmāṇḍe'sminmanasvini | saṃkhyātuṃ naiva śakyante ye bhaviṣyaṃti ye gatāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, ഹേ മനസ്വിനി! ഈ ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡത്തിൽ ചന്ദ്രന്മാരുടെയും സൂര്യന്മാരുടെയും ഗ്രഹങ്ങളുടെയും എണ്ണം എണ്ണാൻ കഴിയില്ല—കഴിഞ്ഞവയും വരാനിരിക്കുന്നവയും.

Word by Word

• candra-sūrya-grahāḥ: the moon, sun, and planets
• candra-sūrya-grahāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (moon, sun, and planets)

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• brahmāṇḍe: in the brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg)
• brahmāṇḍe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in the cosmic egg of Brahmā)

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• manasvini: O wise/spirited one
• manasvini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manasvinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• saṃkhyātum: to count
• saṃkhyātum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam√khyā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• eva: at all; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• śakyante: are possible; can be
• śakyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (passive sense: are possible)

• ye: which; those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• bhaviṣyanti: will be
• bhaviṣyanti: Kriya (Relative clause action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ye: which; those who
• ye: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• gatāḥ: gone; past
• gatāḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara) speaking to Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī addressed amid a star-filled expanse: innumerable suns and moons scattered through the brahmāṇḍa, with the speaker indicating that they cannot be counted—past and future alike.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Candra
• Sūrya
• Grahas
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos is immeasurable; recognizing this vastness cultivates reverence for the Lord who transcends and contains it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where cosmic instruction magnifies the sanctity of Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.