Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अत्रैवोदाहरंतीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । नाभागस्य च संवादमापस्तंबतपोनिधेः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atraivodāharaṃtīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | nābhāgasya ca saṃvādamāpastaṃbataponidheḥ

Translation

พระอีศวรตรัสว่า: ณ ที่นี้เอง เราจักยกเรื่องราวศักดิ์สิทธิ์โบราณขึ้นกล่าว คือบทสนทนาระหว่างนาภาคะกับอาปัสตัมพะ ผู้เป็นขุมทรัพย์แห่งตบะ

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite / relate
• उदाहरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+आ+हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘this’

• इतिहासम्: account/legend
• इतिहासम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘this ancient story’

• पुरातनम्: ancient
• पुरातनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘इतिहासम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नाभागस्य: of Nābhāga
• नाभागस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संवादम्: dialogue/conversation
• संवादम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आपस्तम्बतपोनिधेः: of Āpastamba, the treasure of austerity
• आपस्तम्बतपोनिधेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपस्तम्ब + तपस् + निधि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अर्थः—आपस्तम्बः (ऋषिः) तपोनिधिः (तपसां निधिः) तस्य

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame) / Devikā (foreshadowed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins teaching, announcing an ancient account: the dialogue of Nābhāga with the ascetic Āpastamba; the scene shifts from present-frame to story-within-story.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Nābhāga
• Āpastamba

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching is anchored in itihāsa: ancient exemplars are cited to explain dharma and spiritual fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the setting for Śiva’s explanation in the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse introduces a didactic narrative about tapas and dharma.