Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विस्मिता गिरिजा सती । उवाच तं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रचलच्चंद्रशेखरम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā vismitā girijā satī | uvāca taṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ pracalaccaṃdraśekharam

Translation

Сута сказал: услышав те слова, Сати — Гириджа — исполнилась изумления. Затем она обратилась к Владыке с луной на челе, превосходнейшему среди «дваждырождённых» по духовному величию, чьи спутанные пряди были в движении.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (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), परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) वचनम्

• वचनम्: speech; statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• विस्मिता: astonished
• विस्मिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; विस्मि/स्मि + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृविशेषण (predicate adjective) गिरिजा

• गिरिजा: Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सती: Satī (the virtuous one)
• सती: Karta (Appositive subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अप्पोजिशन (apposition) गिरिजा

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

• तम्: to him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्भोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (used as address)

• प्रचलत्: moving; trembling
• प्रचलत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + चल् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → प्रचलत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) चन्द्रशेखरम्

• चन्द्रशेखरम्: Candraśekhara (Śiva, moon-crested)
• चन्द्रशेखरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as Girijā (Satī/Pārvatī) stands astonished before Śiva, the moon on his matted hair; his jaṭā appears wind-tossed, suggesting living presence and cosmic energy.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Satī (Pārvatī/Girijā)
• Śiva (Candraśekhara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry is a gateway to sacred knowledge; wonder (vismaya) before Śiva’s līlā prepares the mind to receive tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), whose greatness is being unfolded through dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the question-answer sequence that will lead to tīrtha-related practices.