Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

प्रणम्य शिरसा भूमौ तेजसा तु सुविह्वलः । भीतः कृतांजलिः स्तब्धः प्रोवाच परमेश्वरीम्

Transliteration

praṇamya śirasā bhūmau tejasā tu suvihvalaḥ | bhītaḥ kṛtāṃjaliḥ stabdhaḥ provāca parameśvarīm

Translation

അവൻ ഭൂമിയിൽ തലവച്ച് നമസ്കരിച്ചു; അവളുടെ തേജസ്സാൽ അത്യന്തം വിഹ്വലനായി. ഭീതനായി, സ്തബ്ധനായി, കരംകൂപ്പി പരമേശ്വരിയോട് പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• प्रणम्य: having bowed down
• प्रणम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: प्र-नम्; क्रियाविशेषणभावः (adverbial to main verb)

• शिरसा: with (his) head
• शिरसा: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तेजसा: by (her) radiance
• तेजसा: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे (but/indeed)

• सुविह्वलः: greatly bewildered
• सुविह्वलः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- + विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied subject)

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी (धातु) → भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कृताञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• कृताञ्जलिः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (कृतः अञ्जलिः यस्य) ‘hands joined’—विशेषणम्

• स्तब्धः: stupefied
• स्तब्धः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तभ् (धातु) → स्तब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच्/वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• परमेश्वरीम्: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरीम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dialogue-frame audience within Prabhāsakhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān prostrates fully, forehead to earth, trembling under Devī’s radiance; then rises into stillness with folded hands, ready to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper approach to the divine is humility—prostration, folded hands, and reverent speech—especially when confronted with overwhelming tejas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, framed as a place where direct encounter with the Goddess inspires bhakti and surrender.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit devotional conduct is shown: praṇāma (prostration) and añjali (folded hands), though no formal vrata is stated.