Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । कल्पेकल्पे महादेवि अवतारं करोषि यत् । तेन ते स्मरणं नास्ति प्रभावात्प्रकृतेः प्रिये

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | kalpekalpe mahādevi avatāraṃ karoṣi yat | tena te smaraṇaṃ nāsti prabhāvātprakṛteḥ priye

Translation

Wika ni Īśvara: “O Dakilang Diyosa, sapagkat ikaw ay nagkakatawang-tao sa bawat kalpa, hindi nananatili ang iyong pag-alaala—dahil sa makapangyarihang impluwensiya ng Prakṛti, o minamahal.”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the 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, एकवचन

• कल्पे: in a kalpa
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: (in) each kalpa
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अवतारम्: an incarnation; descent
• अवतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करोषि: you do/make
• करोषि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• यत्: because/that (insofar as)
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause-link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative particle introducing clause)

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ते: your / to you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), एकवचन

• स्मरणम्: remembrance; memory
• स्मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रभावात्: due to the power/effect
• प्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रकृतेः: of/from Prakṛti (Nature)
• प्रकृतेः: Sambandha/Hetu (of/from Prakṛti)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Abl.), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O beloved (one)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī/Śakti)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara addresses Mahādevī in a quiet cosmic setting, explaining how Prakṛti’s power veils memory across kalpas; the mood is contemplative, with subtle symbols of guṇas and cyclical time.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Prakṛti
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodiment brings veiling effects; even divine descents accept Prakṛti’s limitations, highlighting the need for renewed śravaṇa and smaraṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the backdrop; the teaching frames the sacred narrative that magnifies the kṣetra’s revelatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the practical implication is repeated remembrance and recitation of divine names/teachings in every age.