Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पश्य मेंऽगुष्ठतो ब्रह्मन्भूरि भस्म विनिर्गतम् । न नृत्येऽहं न मे हर्षस्तथापि मुनिसत्तम

Transliteration

paśya meṃ'guṣṭhato brahmanbhūri bhasma vinirgatam | na nṛtye'haṃ na me harṣastathāpi munisattama

Translation

చూడుము, ఓ బ్రాహ్మణా! నా బొటనవేలి నుండి విస్తారమైన భస్మం వెలువడింది. అయినా నేను నర్తించను, నాకు హర్షమూ లేదు, ఓ మునిశ్రేష్ఠా.

Word by Word

• पश्य: see
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मे: of me, my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) रूप; अत्र षष्ठी (of me)

• अङ्गुष्ठतः: from the thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahmin
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूरि: much, abundant
• भूरि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत् परिमाणवाचक; नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूपेण ‘बहु’ अर्थे; भस्म-विशेषण

• भस्म: ash
• भस्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन्/भस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिर्गतम्: emerged, come out
• विनिर्गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; भस्म-विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• नृत्ये: I dance
• नृत्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मे: my, to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचन (Genitive/6th singular)

• हर्षः: joy, exhilaration
• हर्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अपवादसूचक (concessive: nevertheless)

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (implied by context; continuing Īśvara-uvāca episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa, a serene ascetic or devotee shows his thumb from which abundant sacred ash pours forth; his face remains calm, without dance or jubilation, while a sage watches in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual power is accompanied by steadiness and detachment, not excitement or self-congratulation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where Śiva’s teachings are embedded in place-glorifying narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse points to inner discipline and Śaiva detachment symbolized by ash.