Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कला देवि यदाद्यंतमनादिमजमव्ययम् । तदान्वितः शशी तस्यामधोमुखमवस्थितः

Transliteration

kalā devi yadādyaṃtamanādimajamavyayam | tadānvitaḥ śaśī tasyāmadhomukhamavasthitaḥ

Translation

தேவி! ‘கலா’ என்பது தொடக்கமும் முடிவும் உடையது; ஆனால் (பரம்பொருள்) ஆதியற்றது, பிறவியற்றது, அழிவற்றது. அந்தக் கலாவுடன் இணைந்த சந்திரன் அங்கே கீழ்நோக்கி நிலைகொள்கிறான்.

Word by Word

• कला: a kalā (part/phase)
• कला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• आद्यन्तम्: having beginning and end
• आद्यन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अनादि: beginningless
• अनादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अजम्: unborn
• अजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अन्वितः: endowed/connected
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √इ/√वे?; 'अनु+इ' भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• शशी: the moon
• शशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तस्याम्: in that (kalā)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अधोमुखम्: with face downward/downward-facing
• अधोमुखम्: Karma/Avasta (Object/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as predicate/accusative of state)

• अवस्थितः: is situated/stands
• अवस्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) प्रयुक्तः क्रियार्थे (used predicatively as 'is situated')

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra depicted with a downward-turned face beneath a higher, formless radiance symbolizing the unborn, undecaying Supreme; subtle suggestion of Somnātha’s liṅga as the axis of the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kalā
• Moon (Śaśin/Candra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time and its parts are finite, but the divine reality is beyond birth and decay; spiritual practice aims at that imperishable ground.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the textual setting; metaphysical teaching enhances the Māhātmya’s authority and sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.