Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

उष्णकालो ह्यहं देवि वर्षाकालः पितामहः । शीतकालो भवेद्विष्णुरेवं कालत्रयं हि सः

Transliteration

uṣṇakālo hyahaṃ devi varṣākālaḥ pitāmahaḥ | śītakālo bhavedviṣṇurevaṃ kālatrayaṃ hi saḥ

Translation

देवि, मी उष्णकाल आहे; पितामह (ब्रह्मा) वर्षाकाल आहे। विष्णु शीतकाल होतो—अशा रीतीने तोच कालत्रयस्वरूप आहे।

Word by Word

• उष्णकालः: hot season
• उष्णकालः: Samanaadhikarana / Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उष्णः कालः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (hot season/time)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (I)

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; (O goddess)

• वर्षाकालः: rainy season
• वर्षाकालः: Samanaadhikarana / Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वर्षायाः कालः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (rainy season)

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Samanaadhikarana / Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

• शीतकालः: cold season
• शीतकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (शीतः कालः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (cold season)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (would be/should be)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Samanaadhikarana / Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (Viṣṇu)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• कालत्रयम्: threefold time/three seasons
• कालत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रयः कालाः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (the triad of seasons/times)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (he/that)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych of seasons personified around Śiva-Devī: blazing sun for uṣṇa, monsoon clouds for varṣā with Brahmā, and cool moonlit mist for śīta with Viṣṇu—yet all connected by a single luminous thread signifying one principle.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time itself (seasonal change) is a form of the divine; devotion can be practiced through awareness of sacred time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where contemplation of sacred time supports the tīrtha’s purifying greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the teaching is contemplative—recognize the divine in kāla (time/season).