Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अलं क्लेशेन ते सांब किमर्थं तप्यसे तपः । प्रसन्नोऽहं हरेः सूनो वरं वरय सुव्रत

Transliteration

alaṃ kleśena te sāṃba kimarthaṃ tapyase tapaḥ | prasanno'haṃ hareḥ sūno varaṃ varaya suvrata

Translation

ഹേ സാംബാ! നിനക്ക് ക്ലേശം മതി, എന്തിനാണ് നീ തപസ്സ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്? ഹരിപുത്രാ! ഞാൻ നിന്നിൽ പ്രസന്നനാണ്, ഹേ സുവ്രതാ! നീ വരം ചോദിച്ചാലും.

Word by Word

• अलम्: enough
• अलम्: Sambodhana-prayoga (Interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पर्याप्त्यर्थ/निषेधार्थ निपात (enough; stop)

• क्लेशेन: with hardship
• क्लेशेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव (instrumental: 'with/by hardship')

• ते: for you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/for you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dative enclitic)

• सांब: O Sāmba
• सांब: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• किमर्थम्: why / for what purpose
• किमर्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Interrogative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्राय प्रयोग; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (for what reason?)

• तप्यसे: do you perform austerity / do you suffer
• तप्यसे: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रसन्नः: pleased
• प्रसन्नः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सूनो: O son
• सूनो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरय: choose / ask for
• वरय: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) (वरयति-रूप)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुव्रत: O one of good vows
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (सु-व्रतः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūrya (implied, addressing Sāmba)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divākara addresses Sāmba with compassionate authority, halting his austerities and inviting him to choose a boon as the son of Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Sāmba
• Hari (Kṛṣṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion and austerity mature, divine grace responds—one should ask for dharmic, welfare-giving boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is referenced; the verse culminates in the deity inviting the devotee to request a boon.