Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

एवं चैव रहस्यं च महागोप्यं वरानने । स्नेहान्महत्या भक्त्या च मया ते परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ caiva rahasyaṃ ca mahāgopyaṃ varānane | snehānmahatyā bhaktyā ca mayā te parikīrtitam

Translation

ഹേ വരാനനേ, ഇത് മഹാഗോപ്യമായ രഹസ്യമാണ്; എങ്കിലും മഹത്തായ സ്നേഹവും ഭക്തിയും കൊണ്ടു ഞാൻ ഇത് നിനക്കു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• रहस्यम्: secret
• रहस्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• महागोप्यम्: highly confidential
• महागोप्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महागोप्य (प्रातिपदिक; महा + गोप्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying रहस्यम्)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक; वर + आनना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• स्नेहात्: out of affection
• स्नेहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (हेतु/कारण)

• महत्या: great
• महत्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भक्त्या)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितम्: has been proclaimed/related
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (रहस्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/विधेय)

Speaker

Śiva (intimate disclosure to the addressed goddess in the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (rahasya-mahātmyā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī addressed as ‘varānanā’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An intimate revelation: the speaker leans toward the fair-faced goddess, sharing a ‘mahāgopya’ secret; the background shows Prabhāsa’s sacred shoreline and a quiet shrine, emphasizing confidentiality and tenderness within devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Varānane (addressed goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is transmitted through devotion and trust; esoteric teachings are shared with worthy recipients in a spirit of bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate discourse concerns Prabhāsa-kṣetra, though this verse itself emphasizes the secrecy of the teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights the manner of teaching—through affection and devotion.