Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

चतुर्थं शिवधर्माख्यं साक्षान्नन्दीशभाषितम् । दुर्वाससोक्तमाश्चर्य्यं नारदोक्तमतः परम्

Transliteration

caturthaṃ śivadharmākhyaṃ sākṣānnandīśabhāṣitam | durvāsasoktamāścaryyaṃ nāradoktamataḥ param

Translation

ଚତୁର୍ଥଟି ‘ଶିବଧର୍ମ’ ନାମକ, ଯାହା ସାକ୍ଷାତ୍ ନନ୍ଦୀଶ କଥନ କରିଛନ୍ତି। ପରେ ଦୁର୍ବାସା-ଉକ୍ତ ‘ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ୟ’; ତାପରେ ନାରଦ-ଉକ୍ତ ଅଛି।

Word by Word

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Implied item/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण

• शिवधर्माख्यम्: called ‘Śivadharma’
• शिवधर्माख्यम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śivadharma + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शिवधर्म इति आख्यं = ‘named Śivadharma’)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); प्रत्यक्षार्थक

• नन्दीशभाषितम्: spoken by Nandīśa
• नन्दीशभाषितम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nandīśa + bhāṣita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); समासः—तत्पुरुष (नन्दीशेन भाषितम् = ‘spoken by Nandīśa’)

• दुर्वाससोक्तम्: spoken by Durvāsas
• दुर्वाससोक्तम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durvāsas + ukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुर्वाससः उक्तम् = ‘spoken by Durvāsas’)

• आश्चर्यम्: the Āścarya (Upapurāṇa)
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Implied item/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• नारदोक्तम्: spoken by Nārada
• नारदोक्तम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nārada + ukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); समासः—तत्पुरुष (नारदेन उक्तम् = ‘spoken by Nārada’)

• अतः: thereafter, next
• अतः: Adhikarana (Sequence/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); क्रमवाचक—‘thereafter’

• परम्: next, subsequent
• परम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unnamed narrator within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context (likely Sūta continuing the account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold iconographic suggestion: Nandīśa (bull-headed/attendant form) proclaiming Śivadharma; Durvāsas radiating ascetic fire as he narrates marvels; Nārada with vīṇā teaching; all presented as a lineage of voices around a central reciter.

Characters & Entities

• Śivadharma
• Nandīśa (Nandin)
• Durvāsas
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva Dharma and Purāṇic teachings are anchored in revered transmitters like Nandīśa and sages, underscoring lineage-based authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is the setting of the māhātmya, but this verse focuses on textual enumeration rather than a particular tīrtha within Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse lists named Upapurāṇas and their speakers.