Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

का देवता व्रते तस्मिन्के मन्त्राः किं फलं विभो । विस्तरेण महेश त्वं ब्रूहि धर्मं सनातनम्

Transliteration

kā devatā vrate tasminke mantrāḥ kiṃ phalaṃ vibho | vistareṇa maheśa tvaṃ brūhi dharmaṃ sanātanam

Translation

“ในพรตนั้นควรบูชาเทพองค์ใด ใช้มันตร์ใด และผลแห่งพรตนั้นคืออะไร โอ้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า? ข้าแต่มเหศวร โปรดอธิบายธรรมะอันเป็นนิรันดร์นี้โดยพิสดารเถิด”

Word by Word

• का: which?/what?
• का: Karta-predicate (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• व्रते: in the vow
• व्रते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• के: which?/what (plural)?
• के: Karta-predicate (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karta-predicate (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विभो: O Lord
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karana/Adverbial (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे

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

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell/speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• धर्मम्: dharma/rite
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सनातनम्: eternal
• सनातनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मम्)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheśa (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks pointed questions about deity, mantras, and fruits; Śiva is poised to teach. The scene emphasizes pedagogical clarity—gesture of enumeration (counting on fingers), sacred implements nearby (japa-mālā, kamaṇḍalu).

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A complete vrata rests on three pillars—devatā (focus of worship), mantra (sacred speech), and phala (intended merit)—all grounded in sanātana-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the rules and merits of observances are taught as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It asks for the vow’s deity, mantras, and results—setting up the detailed vrata-vidhi that follows.