Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अलं नामसहस्रेण पठस्वैवं शुभं स्तवम् । यानि गुह्यानि नामानि पवित्राणि शुभानि च । तानि ते कीर्तयिष्यामि प्रयत्नादवधारय

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | alaṃ nāmasahasreṇa paṭhasvaivaṃ śubhaṃ stavam | yāni guhyāni nāmāni pavitrāṇi śubhāni ca | tāni te kīrtayiṣyāmi prayatnādavadhāraya

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ— ନାମସହସ୍ର ପର୍ଯ୍ୟାପ୍ତ; ତାହାର ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତେ ଏହି ଶୁଭ ସ୍ତବ ପାଠ କର। ଯେ ଗୁହ୍ୟ, ପବିତ୍ର ଓ ମଙ୍ଗଳକର ନାମଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଅଛି, ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ମୁଁ ତୋତେ କହିବି; ତୁମେ ପ୍ରୟତ୍ନରେ ସାବଧାନ ହୋଇ ଧାରଣ କର।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अलम्: enough
• अलम्: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध/पर्याप्ति-अर्थ (enough/sufficient)

• नामसहस्रेण: with/by the thousand-names (recitation)
• नामसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāma (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• पठस्व: recite
• पठस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• स्तवम्: hymn
• स्तवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गुह्यानि: secret
• गुह्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पवित्राणि: pure
• पवित्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• शुभानि: auspicious
• शुभानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I shall proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; causative of कीर्त्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रयत्नात्: with effort / carefully
• प्रयत्नात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवधारय: pay attention / grasp
• अवधारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + धृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṅkara raises a hand in teaching gesture (vyākhyā-mudrā), Devī listens intently; luminous syllables/letters appear as subtle golden script in the air, symbolizing ‘guhya nāmāni’; the setting remains coastal-sacred and serene.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A shorter, concentrated hymn—received from a guru—can be spiritually equivalent to longer recitations when practiced with attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śiva reveals merit-bestowing modes of Sūrya praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the auspicious stava and retain the taught “secret names” with focused effort.