Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 142

Devanagari script

इतिहासमिमं पूर्वं कथयामि तव प्रिये । यथावृत्तं महादेवि सोमवारव्रतं प्रति

Transliteration

itihāsamimaṃ pūrvaṃ kathayāmi tava priye | yathāvṛttaṃ mahādevi somavāravrataṃ prati

Translation

प्रिये, हे महादेवी! सोमवार-व्रताविषयी हा प्राचीन इतिहास जसा घडला तसाच मी आता तुला सांगतो।

Word by Word

• इतिहासम्: story, account
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूर्वम्: formerly/first
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• कथयामि: I narrate/tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner)

• वृत्तम्: happened, occurred
• वृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; (यथा इति सह)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• सोमवारव्रतम्: Monday vow
• सोमवारव्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवार (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमवारस्य व्रतम्)

• प्रति: regarding, towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृशं कर्मप्रवचनीयम् (preposition)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator addressing Mahādevī/Priyā (immediately followed by “Īśvara uvāca”, indicating Śiva as the forthcoming speaker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somavāra-vrata (contextual within Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addresses Pārvatī intimately, beginning an ancient narrative about the Monday vow; a calm, anticipatory storytelling moment.

Characters & Entities

• Somavāravrata
• Itihāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vratas are grounded in sacred memory (itihāsa); hearing their origin with faith strengthens practice and understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya; this verse introduces a legend that supports the sacred authority of Śaiva observances in that landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Somavāravrata is introduced as the subject of the forthcoming narrative.