Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मानुषं रूपमाश्रित्य तमृषिं पर्यपृच्छत । विस्मयं परमं गत्वा काम्यदं कर्मणः फलम्

Transliteration

mānuṣaṃ rūpamāśritya tamṛṣiṃ paryapṛcchata | vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatvā kāmyadaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam

Translation

മാനുഷരൂപം ധരിച്ചു അത് ആ ഋഷിയെ ചോദ്യം ചെയ്തു; പരമ വിസ്മയത്തിലെത്തി, കർമ്മത്തിന്റെ കാമ്യഫലത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रूपम् इति विशेष्यस्य) — Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective qualifying ‘rūpam’

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• आश्रित्य: having assumed / resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive/gerund ‘having resorted to/assuming’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular; demonstrative pronoun

• ऋषिम्: sage
• ऋषिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• पर्यपृच्छत: they asked
• पर्यपृच्छत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person plural

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

• परमम्: great/supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विस्मयम् इति) — Masculine, Accusative singular; adjective

• गत्वा: having attained
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive ‘having gone/attained’

• काम्यदम्: granting desired (boons)
• काम्यदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (काम्यं ददाति इति) — Neuter, Accusative singular; ‘giving desired (result)’

• कर्मणः: of the act/rite
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive singular

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative singular (context: object of inquiry)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Huṃkāra-udbhava-kunda (descriptive; implied)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rescued deer stands by the water’s edge; a luminous shift occurs as it assumes human form—hands folded or raised in questioning—addressing the serene sage, while the kunda glistens behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Sage (ṛṣi, Taṇḍī implied)
• Deer transformed (mṛga → mānuṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-grace can uplift even fallen states of birth; wonder leads to inquiry and recognition of dharmic causality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The huṃkāra-associated sacred water site on the Devikā riverbank in Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes the fruit (phala) of a compassionate, spiritually potent act.