Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नमोऽस्तु वै त्रिपुरप्रहर्त्रे महात्मने तारकमर्दनाय । नमोऽस्तु ते क्षीरसमुद्र दायिने शिशोर्मुनीन्द्रस्य समाहितस्य

Transliteration

namo'stu vai tripuraprahartre mahātmane tārakamardanāya | namo'stu te kṣīrasamudra dāyine śiśormunīndrasya samāhitasya

Translation

ତ୍ରିପୁରପ୍ରହର୍ତ୍ତା, ତାରକମର୍ଦନ କରୁଥିବା ମହାତ୍ମନ—ତୁମକୁ ନମସ୍କାର। କ୍ଷୀରସମୁଦ୍ର ଦାନକର୍ତ୍ତା ଏବଂ ଶିଶୁ ମୁନୀନ୍ଦ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ସମାଧି-ସ୍ଥୈର୍ୟ ପ୍ରଦାନକର୍ତ୍ତା—ତୁମକୁ ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable interjection)

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• त्रिपुरप्रहर्त्रे: to the slayer of Tripura
• त्रिपुरप्रहर्त्रे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुर + प्रहर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• तारकमर्दनाय: to the crusher of Tāraka
• तारकमर्दनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक + मर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable interjection)

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• क्षीरसमुद्र: (of) the ocean of milk
• क्षीरसमुद्र: Karma/Upapada (Object-specifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद; here used as upapada in compound with दायिन्; अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (as compound member)

• दायिने: to the giver
• दायिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) + यिन् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; कृतान्त (agent noun)

• शिशोः: of the child
• शिशोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• मुनीन्द्रस्य: of the lord of sages
• मुनीन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• समाहितस्य: of the composed/collected (one)
• समाहितस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) → समाहित (कृत्/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), विशेषण

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī’s stuti strings together vivid epithets: Śiva as Tripurāntaka, as Tārakāri, as connected to the Milk Ocean, and as bestower of deep concentration upon a child-sage; the imagery alternates between cosmic battle and quiet ascetic blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Tripura
• Tāraka
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as the cosmic protector whose deeds restore dharma and empower sages and devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the verse is part of the devotional preface to Somēśvara’s local greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is stuti (praise) using mythic epithets.