Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

देवी वा मानुषी वापि यक्षिणी पन्नगी मुने । कुमारी वा सकांता वा ब्रूहि सर्वं सविस्तरम्

Transliteration

devī vā mānuṣī vāpi yakṣiṇī pannagī mune | kumārī vā sakāṃtā vā brūhi sarvaṃ savistaram

Translation

ਹੇ ਮੁਨੇ, ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਸਭ ਦੱਸੋ: ਕੀ ਉਹ ਦੇਵੀ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਨਾਰੀ, ਜਾਂ ਯਕਸ਼িণੀ, ਜਾਂ ਨਾਗ-ਕੰਨਿਆ? ਕੀ ਉਹ ਕੁਮਾਰੀ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਕਾਂਤਾ/ਪਤੀ ਵਾਲੀ?

Word by Word

• देवी: a goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• मानुषी: a human woman
• मानुषी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधानार्थ (particle: 'also/even')

• यक्षिणी: a yakṣiṇī
• यक्षिणी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• पन्नगी: a serpent-woman (nāgī)
• पन्नगी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• कुमारी: a maiden
• कुमारी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• सकान्ता: with a husband/lover
• सकान्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-कान्ता (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/समाससदृश)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; विशेषण; 'स' = सह (with)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन

• सविस्तरम्: in detail
• सविस्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन (adverbial accusative: 'in detail')

Speaker

Mahīṣāsura

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mahīṣa lists possibilities—goddess, human, yakṣiṇī, serpent-maiden—counting on fingers; Nārada listens, composed; faint ethereal silhouettes of the mentioned forms appear as imagined overlays in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīṣāsura
• Nārada (implied)
• Yakṣiṇī
• Pannagī (Nāga-maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly fascination seeks labels and possession; the Purāṇic narrative redirects attention toward dharma, vows, and divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbudācala (Arbuda) is the broader sacred geography behind this dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription appears; the verse sets up questions that will be answered through the account of vrata and tapas.