Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एक एव तदा देवो जले शेते महेश्वरः । जागर्ति च यदा देवः स्वेच्छया कौतुकात्ततः

Transliteration

eka eva tadā devo jale śete maheśvaraḥ | jāgarti ca yadā devaḥ svecchayā kautukāttataḥ

Translation

ครั้งนั้นมีเพียงพระมหेशวรองค์เดียวบรรทมเหนือห้วงน้ำ และเมื่อพระเทวะทรงตื่นขึ้นด้วยพระประสงค์ของพระองค์เอง ด้วยลีลาและความพิศวงอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ เมื่อนั้นการคลี่คลายต่อไปจึงเริ่มขึ้น

Word by Word

• एकः: one
• एकः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case); विशेषणम्

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (then)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• जले: in the water
• जले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; सप्तमी (7th case)

• शेते: lies/reclines
• शेते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• जागर्ति: wakes/is awake
• जागर्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (when)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• स्वेच्छया: by his own will
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (स्वस्य इच्छा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (3rd case)

• कौतुकात्: out of curiosity
• कौतुकात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; पञ्चमी (5th case)

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Sequence/Source (अनन्तरता/अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तस्मात्-अर्थे (thereupon/from that)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boundless dark-blue pralaya ocean; Mahādeva alone reclines/abides upon the waters in yogic stillness; a subtle awakening—eyes opening—suggests the first stir of creation from his will.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Waters (jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ultimate source is one divine reality; cosmic manifestation proceeds from the Lord’s free will, not from compulsion.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is cosmological rather than topographical; it undergirds the authority of the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.