Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इदं पृष्टं पुरा देव्या कैलासशिखरोत्तमे । नानाधातुविचित्रांगे नानारत्नसमन्विते

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | idaṃ pṛṣṭaṃ purā devyā kailāsaśikharottame | nānādhātuvicitrāṃge nānāratnasamanvite

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഈ ചോദ്യം പൂർവം ദേവി, നാനാധാതുക്കളാൽ വർണ്ണവൈവിധ്യമാർന്നും നാനാരത്നങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കൃതവുമായ കൈലാസത്തിന്റെ ഉത്തമശിഖരത്തിൽ ചോദിച്ചതാണ്।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण

• पृष्टम्: asked
• पृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: formerly)

• देव्या: by the goddess
• देव्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कैलासशिखरोत्तमे: on the best peak of Kailāsa
• कैलासशिखरोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास + शिखर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कैलासस्य शिखरस्य उत्तमे)

• नानाधातुविचित्राङ्गे: in (a place) whose parts were variegated with many minerals
• नानाधातुविचित्राङ्गे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + धातु + विचित्र + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाने), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (नानाधातुभिः विचित्राणि अङ्गानि यस्मिन्)

• नानारत्नसमन्विते: endowed with many gems
• नानारत्नसमन्विते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + रत्न + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाने), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (नानारत्नैः समन्विते)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (as narrative locus, not the main Prabhāsa tīrtha)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly/inquirer in Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins: long ago, on the supreme summit of Kailāsa—glittering with minerals and gems—the Goddess posed this very question, establishing a divine provenance for the narrative.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Devī
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings are framed within divine dialogue, indicating that dharma and tīrtha-glory are revealed in exalted, holy settings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is Kailāsa; the broader chapter context belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, preparing the listener for Prabhāsa’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes the narrative setting and authority of the account.