Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एवं प्रत्यक्षमापन्नं दृष्ट्वा देवं वृषध्वजम् । प्रणम्य तं यथाभक्त्या स्तुतिं चक्रे निशाकरः

Transliteration

evaṃ pratyakṣamāpannaṃ dṛṣṭvā devaṃ vṛṣadhvajam | praṇamya taṃ yathābhaktyā stutiṃ cakre niśākaraḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ വൃഷധ്വജനായ ദേവനെ തന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി വന്നതായി കണ്ടു, നിശാകരൻ യഥാഭക്തിയായി നമസ്കരിച്ചു സ്തുതിഗാനം രചിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner: “thus”)

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly, manifest
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Karma (Object complement to participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• आपन्नम्: having come/attained
• आपन्नम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “प्राप्त/उपगत” (having attained/come to)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyā (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having seen”

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृषध्वजम्: Bull-bannered (Śiva)
• वृषध्वजम्: Karma (Object; apposition to देवम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषस्य ध्वजः = whose banner is the bull)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyā (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) → प्रणम्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): “having bowed”

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/according to)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• स्तुतिम्: a hymn/praise
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made/composed
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → चक्रे
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• निशाकरः: Niśākara (the Moon)
• निशाकरः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निशायाः करः = maker of night; i.e., Moon)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (female interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears with bull-banner insignia; Candra, overwhelmed yet composed, bows and begins a hymn. The moment is devotional and formal—gesture, posture, and sacred iconography dominate.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)
• Niśākara (Soma/Chandra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After grace is received, the proper response is humility (praṇāma) and articulate gratitude through stuti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Śiva is said to become pratyakṣa (directly manifest) to the devotee.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma and stuti (devotional praise) are modeled as the devotional protocol upon receiving darśana.