Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इति प्रोक्ता तदा देवि विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचना । रोमांचकञ्चुका सुभ्रूः पुनः पप्रच्छ भूसुराः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | iti proktā tadā devi vismayotphullalocanā | romāṃcakañcukā subhrūḥ punaḥ papraccha bhūsurāḥ

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—இவ்வாறு சொல்லப்பட்டபோது, தேவீ வியப்பால் விரிந்த கண்களுடன், ரோமாஞ்சம் நிறைந்த உடலுடன், அழகிய புருவங்களுடன், மீண்டும் அந்த தெய்வ முனிவரை வினவினாள்.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha-bodhaka (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उक्त्यर्थक निपात

• प्रोक्ता: having been spoken to / addressed
• प्रोक्ता: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been addressed/told’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचना: she whose eyes were widened in wonder
• विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय-उत्फुल्ल-लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘विस्मयेन उत्फुल्ले लोचने यस्याः सा’

• रोमाञ्चकञ्चुका: covered with goosebumps
• रोमाञ्चकञ्चुका: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोमाञ्च-कञ्चुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘रोमाञ्चः कञ्चुक इव यस्याः’ (having horripilation as a garment)

• सुभ्रूः: the fair-browed lady
• सुभ्रूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुभ्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘शोभने भ्रू यस्याः सा’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूसुराः: the brāhmaṇas (earth-gods)
• भूसुराः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूसुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय—‘भूमौ सुरा इव’ (ब्राह्मणाः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied frame) / reporting Devī’s reaction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, eyes widened in wonder, with visible horripilation, leans forward to ask again; the sage/narrator sits composed, continuing the sacred discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Devī
• Bhūsura (Brāhmaṇa sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Genuine hearing of māhātmya awakens devotion and wonder, leading to further inquiry and deeper understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the topic, as the dialogue continues into its further greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative connector emphasizing attentive listening and questioning.