Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

उवाच परमं वाक्यं तलं दैत्याधिनायकम् । वरं वरय दैत्येंद्र यत्ते मनसि संस्थितम्

Transliteration

uvāca paramaṃ vākyaṃ talaṃ daityādhināyakam | varaṃ varaya daityeṃdra yatte manasi saṃsthitam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം ദൈത്യാധിനായകൻ തലനോട് പരമവാക്യം അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു— “ഹേ ദൈത്യേന്ദ്രാ! നിന്റെ മനസ്സിൽ നിശ്ചയമായിരിക്കുന്ന വരം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുക।”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्ष-भूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• परमम्: supreme, excellent
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्) — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तलम्: Tala (proper name)
• तलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; दैत्याधिनायकम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य-रूपेण — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दैत्याधिनायकम्: the overlord/leader of the Daityas
• दैत्याधिनायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् अधिनायकः) — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वरय: choose (ask for)
• वरय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु) (वरणे)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दैत्येन्द्र: O lord of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्रः) — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम — Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular; relative pronoun

• ते: of you, your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Genitive, Singular

• मनसि: in (your) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• संस्थितम्: situated, fixed
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + सम् (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; यत् इत्यस्य विशेषणम् — Past participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc Singular

Speaker

Viṣṇu (speaking to Tala)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu addresses Tala, the daitya-leader, offering a boon; the moment is poised, formal, and charged with cosmic authority.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Tala (Daityādhināyaka)
• Daityendra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine sovereignty includes mercy: the Lord can subdue and still uplift, offering a boon even to an adversary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya framework in which this boon-granting moment is remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse centers on vara-dāna (granting of a boon) as a theological motif.