Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

नमो दीर्घाय शुष्काय कालदृष्टे नमोऽस्तु ते । नमस्ते कोटराक्षाय दुर्निरीक्ष्याय वै नमः

Transliteration

namo dīrghāya śuṣkāya kāladṛṣṭe namo'stu te | namaste koṭarākṣāya durnirīkṣyāya vai namaḥ

Translation

दीर्घकाय, शुष्क देह असणाऱ्या; ज्यांची दृष्टीच काळ आहे—तुला नमस्कार. कोटर नेत्र असणाऱ्या, ज्यांना पाहणे कठीण—तुला नमस्कार.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation; homage
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; विसर्गान्त-निपात (particle/interjection of salutation)

• dīrghāya: to the long/tall one
• dīrghāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śuṣkāya: to the dry/gaunt one
• śuṣkāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kāladṛṣṭe: O time-seen / seen by Time
• kāladṛṣṭe: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √dṛś (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कालेन दृष्टः/कालदृष्टः)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

• astu: may it be
• astu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• koṭarākṣāya: to the hollow-eyed one
• koṭarākṣāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭara (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कोटरं यदक्षि यस्य)

• durnirīkṣyāya: to the hard-to-look-at one
• durnirīkṣyāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + nirīkṣya (कृदन्त; √īkṣ (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुर्निरीक्ष्यः = दुष्करं निरीक्षितुम्)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमः-निपात

Speaker

Narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya (deductively: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed Kāla-like being; and the māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tall, withered figure whose very gaze is Time; hollowed eyes that are difficult to look upon. The king continues bowing, emphasizing the paradox of unbearable vision and necessary reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara (Saturn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Facing the ‘hard-to-behold’ truth of impermanence and consequence is itself purifying; devotion trains the mind to endure and transform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, a pilgrimage setting where such hymns are presented as dharmic supports for overcoming affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse is stotra material suitable for recitation.