Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

गौतम उवाच । आनीतासि मया देवि तपसाऽराध्य शंकरम् । वदिष्यति स चोपायमित्युक्त्वाऽचिन्तयत्तदा

Transliteration

gautama uvāca | ānītāsi mayā devi tapasā'rādhya śaṃkaram | vadiṣyati sa copāyamityuktvā'cintayattadā

Translation

ଗୌତମ କହିଲେ: ହେ ଦେବୀ, ତପସ୍ୟାରେ ଶଙ୍କରଙ୍କୁ ଆରାଧନା କରି ମୁଁ ତୁମକୁ ଏଠାକୁ ଆଣିଛି। ‘ସେ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଉପାୟ କହିବେ’ ବୋଲି କହି ସେତେବେଳେ ସେ ଗଭୀର ଚିନ୍ତା କଲେ।

Word by Word

• gautamaḥ: Gautama
• gautamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ānītā: brought
• ānītā: Karma-predicative (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘brought’

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• devi: O goddess/lady
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ārādhya: having propitiated
• ārādhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rādh (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• śaṃkaram: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṃkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vadiṣyati: will say
• vadiṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• upāyam: the means; remedy
• upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-निपात

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive)

• acintayat: thought; reflected
• acintayat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a-√cint (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Gautama

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama speaks to the Goddess: a hermitage scene with sacred fire, matted-hair sage, and an invoked divine feminine presence; in the background, a subtle icon of Śaṅkara with Gaṅgā in his hair, indicating the source of the promised remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Gautamī
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas and devotion to Śiva are portrayed as a doorway to clarity and divine instruction when worldly solutions are absent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the surrounding māhātmya setting; the verse emphasizes Śaṅkara’s grace that supports the revelation of sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) and worship/propitiation (ārādhana) of Śaṅkara are indicated as the spiritual method.