Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कराच्छाकरसो जातः कुशाग्रेणेति नः श्रुतम् । स तं दृष्ट्वा महाश्चर्यं विस्मयं परमं गतः

Transliteration

karācchākaraso jātaḥ kuśāgreṇeti naḥ śrutam | sa taṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāścaryaṃ vismayaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

ഞങ്ങൾ കേട്ടതു പ്രകാരം—കുശാഗ്രം കൊണ്ട് കുത്തപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ കൈയിൽ നിന്ന് ശർക്കരപോലെയുള്ള മധുരരസം പുറപ്പെട്ടു. ആ മഹാശ്ചര്യം കണ്ടു അദ്ദേഹം പരമവിസ്മയത്തിലായി.

Word by Word

• करात्: from (his) hand
• करात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• शाकरसः: vegetable-juice / sap
• शाकरसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाकस्य रसः)

• जातः: arose/was produced
• जातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) — ‘born/produced’ (finite-verb sense)

• कुश-अग्रेण: with the tip of a kuśa grass
• कुश-अग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुशस्य अग्रेण)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक (quotative)

• नः: of us / to us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• श्रुतम्: (it is) heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; भावे प्रयोगः—‘it is heard’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तम्: that (thing/person)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• महा-आश्चर्यम्: a great wonder
• महा-आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत् आश्चर्यम्)

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, extreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (विस्मयम्)

• गतः: attained, reached
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘went/attained’ (finite-verb sense)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: continuing narration to Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṃkīśvara (via Maṅkaṇaka miracle-cycle)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close scene: the ṛṣi’s pricked finger releases a gleaming sweet sap; he stares in astonishment, eyes wide yet inwardly absorbed; the kuśa tip is visible; the air shimmers with tapas-tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇaka (implied)
• kuśa (grass)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extraordinary signs can arise, but they should lead to deeper humility rather than pride in attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The incident is narrated within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s praise-context, contributing to its sacred narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; kuśa appears as a sacred ritual plant, but here it functions as a narrative instrument.