Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । भगवन्देवदेवेश संसारार्णवतारक पृच्छामि त्वामहं भक्त्या किञ्चित्कौतूहलात्पुनः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | bhagavandevadeveśa saṃsārārṇavatāraka pṛcchāmi tvāmahaṃ bhaktyā kiñcitkautūhalātpunaḥ

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: ข้าแต่พระภควาน ผู้เป็นจอมแห่งเทพทั้งปวง ผู้ทรงพาข้ามพ้นมหาสมุทรแห่งสังสาระ ด้วยศรัทธาภักดี ข้าพเจ้าขอทูลถามพระองค์อีกครั้ง ด้วยความใคร่รู้ประการหนึ่ง

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवस्य ईशः/देवदेवानाम् ईशः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• संसारार्णवतारक: O savior from the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारार्णवतारक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (संसाररूप-अर्णवस्य तारकः); पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्/पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

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

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• किञ्चित्: something, a little
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; अल्पपरिमाणवाचक (something/a little)

• कौतूहलात्: out of curiosity
• कौतूहलात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक-adverb)

Speaker

Text says “Īśvara”; contextually this is a dialogue invocation (likely Śiva addressing a higher epitheted deity, as transmitted in this recension)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context); Tala-svāmi (topic introduced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī (or Devī) respectfully addressing Śiva: seated on Kailāsa-like throne or within a shrine pavilion; Śiva serene, granting audience; subtle hint of coastal Prabhāsa landscape as narrative backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Deva-deveśa
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional inquiry is honored in Purāṇic teaching—questions asked with bhakti open the way to liberating knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The frame introduces the Tala-svāmi Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Kṣetra; the tīrtha praise unfolds in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the dialogue setting for the forthcoming māhātmya.