Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पार्वत्या षण्मुखस्याग्रे तेन नन्दिगणाय वै । नन्दिना तु कुमाराय तेन व्यासाय धीमते

Transliteration

pārvatyā ṣaṇmukhasyāgre tena nandigaṇāya vai | nandinā tu kumārāya tena vyāsāya dhīmate

Translation

Kemudian Pārvatī (menyampaikannya) di hadapan Ṣaṇmukha (Yang Bermuka Enam); baginda pula mengajarkannya kepada Nandigaṇa. Nandin mengajarkannya kepada Kumāra, dan Kumāra menyampaikannya kepada Vyāsa yang bijaksana.

Word by Word

• पार्वत्या: by Pārvatī
• पार्वत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• षण्मुखस्य: of Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced Skanda)
• षण्मुखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + मुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अग्रे: in front (presence)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (pronoun)

• नन्दिगणाय: to the Nandi-gaṇa (attendant of Nandi)
• नन्दिगणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिगण (प्रातिपदिक; नन्दि + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; Dative singular

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

• नन्दिना: by Nandin
• नन्दिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• तु: but/and then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrastive particle)

• कुमाराय: to Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (pronoun)

• व्यासाय: to Vyāsa
• व्यासाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular

• धीमते: to the wise (one)
• धीमते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Dative singular; विशेषण (qualifying व्यासाय)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential ‘garland of teachers’: Pārvatī instructing Ṣaṇmukha, Ṣaṇmukha to Nandin, Nandin to Kumāra, Kumāra to Vyāsa—each handing a manuscript or speaking in teaching gesture, forming a sacred relay.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Ṣaṇmukha
• Skanda
• Nandigaṇa
• Nandin
• Kumāra
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic wisdom is preserved through a sanctified lineage (guru-paramparā), emphasizing faithful transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised in this verse; it supports the authority of the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya by giving the text’s lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a lineage statement identifying successive transmitters.