Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कथं राजा स देवेश सप्तद्वीपां वसुन्धराम् । शशास एक एवासौ कथं ते व्याधयः कृताः

Transliteration

kathaṃ rājā sa deveśa saptadvīpāṃ vasundharām | śaśāsa eka evāsau kathaṃ te vyādhayaḥ kṛtāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദേവേശാ! ആ രാജാവ് ഒരുത്തൻ മാത്രം സപ്തദ്വീപങ്ങളുള്ള ഭൂമിയെ എങ്ങനെ ഭരിച്ചു? ആ വ്യാധികൾ എങ്ങനെ ഉണ്ടാക്കപ്പെട്ടു?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम्) indeclinable interrogative adverb

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स: he/that (king)
• स: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवेश: O lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• सप्तद्वीपाम्: having seven islands/continents
• सप्तद्वीपाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त + द्वीप)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वसुन्धराम्)

• वसुन्धराम्: the earth
• वसुन्धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुन्धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शशास: ruled
• शशास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकः: alone, single
• एकः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (असौ)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक) emphatic particle

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम्) indeclinable interrogative adverb

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्याधयः: diseases, ailments
• व्याधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कृताः: made/caused
• कृताः: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘made/caused’

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī poses two pointed questions to Īśvara: a solitary king ruling the seven continents and the origin of diseases; the composition shows Devī’s questioning gesture and Śiva’s calm, explanatory posture.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Īśvara/Śiva)
• the King
• Sapta-dvīpa
• vyādhi (diseases)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inquiry into dharma and causality is honored; understanding kingship and suffering requires listening to sacred explanation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question belongs to the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative cycle, rooted in Prabhāsa’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is interrogative, setting up the forthcoming account of causation and royal attainment.