Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अथ काले गते देवि शुष्यत्यंबु शनैःशनैः । विदित्वा क्षीयमाणास्ता अपो जलनिधिस्ततः

Transliteration

atha kāle gate devi śuṣyatyaṃbu śanaiḥśanaiḥ | viditvā kṣīyamāṇāstā apo jalanidhistataḥ

Translation

Nang lumipas ang panahon, O Diyosa, ang mga tubig ay unti-unting natutuyo. Nang maunawaan na ang mga tubig na iyon ay kumakaunti, ang karagatan ay nabalisa at kinabahan.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• kāle: when time (had passed)
• kāle: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• gate: having passed
• gate: Adhikarana (Locative absolute qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (गम्) (गत- कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (Past participle) ‘gata’; पुंलिङ्गे ‘kāle’ इति विशेषण (locative absolute)

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• śuṣyati: dries up
• śuṣyati: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuṣ (शुष्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ambu: water
• ambu: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śanaiḥ: slowly
• śanaiḥ: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• śanaiḥ: very slowly
• śanaiḥ: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis)

• viditvā: having known
• viditvā: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• kṣīyamāṇāḥ: being diminished
• kṣīyamāṇāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣi (क्षि)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present passive participle) शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय; स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘āpaḥ’)

• tāḥ: those
• tāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• āpaḥ: waters
• āpaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (pluralia tantum)

• jalanidhiḥ: the ocean (treasure of waters)
• jalanidhiḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तर (thereupon/then)

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditional frame: Sūta speaking to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (sāgara-tīra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A time-lapse tableau: the sea level subtly recedes; Varuṇa and ocean-personification look troubled; the horizon feels exposed, suggesting imbalance as waters thin.

Characters & Entities

• Ocean (Jalanidhi)
• Devi (listener addressed in-frame)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When balance is lost, even vast resources decline—prompting humility and a return to divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its coastal sacred landscape, where the ocean’s condition becomes part of the site’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the ensuing appeal for protection.