Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

यं देवा न विजानंति ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः । न सांख्येन न योगेन नैव पाशुपतेन च

Transliteration

yaṃ devā na vijānaṃti brahmaviṣṇupurogamāḥ | na sāṃkhyena na yogena naiva pāśupatena ca

Translation

பிரம்மா, விஷ்ணு முதலிய தேவர்கள் கூட உண்மையாக அறியாத அவரை, சாங்க்யத்தாலும் அல்ல, யோகத்தாலும் அல்ல, பாசுபத மார்க்கத்தாலும் மட்டும் அல்ல—அறிய இயலாது.

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, accusative singular

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• विजानन्ति: know, understand
• विजानन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — they know/recognize

• ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः: with Brahmā and Viṣṇu at the forefront
• ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरोगमाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन्-विष्णु-पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; बहुव्रीहिः (ब्रह्मा-विष्णू पुरोगमौ येषां ते = having Brahmā and Viṣṇu in front/at the head) (qualifies देवाः)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सांख्येन: by Sāṃkhya (doctrine)
• सांख्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• योगेन: by Yoga
• योगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (in naiva = na + eva)

• एव: indeed, even
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis: indeed/just)

• पाशुपतेन: by the Pāśupata (path/doctrine)
• पाशुपतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (मत/शास्त्रवाचक), तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra—Someśvara (Somnātha) Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Viṣṇu with other devas stand in reverent perplexity before a radiant, aniconic liṅga; around it, subtle motifs of Sāṃkhya tattvas and yogic symbols dissolve into light, indicating the Lord’s transcendence beyond conceptual paths.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied as the unknowable One)
• Devī
• Devas
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Sāṃkhya
• Yoga
• Pāśupata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is beyond complete intellectual or methodological capture; grace and direct devotion are implied as superior to mere systems.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this adhyāya, the teaching supports the greatness of Prabhāsa and the Someśvara liṅga as a locus of the transcendent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it contrasts philosophical paths (Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Pāśupata) with the ineffability of the deity.