Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एवं ते कथितं देवि रहस्यं ज्ञानसंभवम् । एवं यो वेद पुरुषः स ज्ञेयो वैष्णवो बुधैः

Transliteration

evaṃ te kathitaṃ devi rahasyaṃ jñānasaṃbhavam | evaṃ yo veda puruṣaḥ sa jñeyo vaiṣṇavo budhaiḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่เทวี ข้าพเจ้าได้กล่าวความลับอันบังเกิดจากญาณแท้แก่ท่านดังนี้แล้ว ผู้ใดรู้แจ้งเช่นนี้ บัณฑิตทั้งหลายย่อมยอมรับว่าเป็นไวษณพแท้จริง

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of manner)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (2nd/Acc or 4th/Dat), एकवचनम्; (अत्र) चतुर्थी—'तुभ्यम्' अर्थे

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Karma (Predicate in passive/कर्मणि विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: कृदन्तः (PPP), कर्मणि-प्रयोगे; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (रहस्यम् इत्यनुगुणम्)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• रहस्यम्: secret, mystery
• रहस्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• ज्ञानसंभवम्: arising from knowledge
• ज्ञानसंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (ज्ञानात् संभवः/ज्ञानसम्भवम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• पुरुषः: a person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञेयः: is to be known/should be regarded
• ज्ञेयः: Karma (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्तः (gerundive/tavya), विधिलिङ्गार्थः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• वैष्णवः: a Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवः: Karma (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Śiva (deduced: dialogue addressing Devī within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-deity figure (Skanda) imparting a confidential doctrine to Devī; the background suggests Prabhāsa’s sacred coast and temple silhouettes, emphasizing secrecy and clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Vaiṣṇava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion is grounded in right understanding; the wise recognize as Vaiṣṇava the one who knows the inner teaching properly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), a sacred geography section of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it emphasizes jñāna and recognition of authentic devotional identity.