Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सुखासीनं महादेवं जगतः कारणं परम् । पप्रच्छ षण्मुखो भक्त्या सर्वलोकहितोद्यतः

Transliteration

sukhāsīnaṃ mahādevaṃ jagataḥ kāraṇaṃ param | papraccha ṣaṇmukho bhaktyā sarvalokahitodyataḥ

Translation

شَنمُکھ (اسکند) نے، جو سب جہانوں کی بھلائی کے لیے کوشاں تھا، آرام سے بیٹھے ہوئے مہادیو—کائنات کے اعلیٰ سبب—سے بھکتی کے ساتھ سوال کیا۔

Word by Word

• sukhāsīnam: seated comfortably
• sukhāsīnam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: सुखेन आसीनः (seated comfortably); ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mahādevam: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: महान् देवः

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• kāraṇam: the cause
• kāraṇam: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (appositional)

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कāraṇam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Ṣaṇmukha (six-faced one)
• ṣaṇmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: षण्मुखानि यस्य सः (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• sarvalokahitodyataḥ: intent on the welfare of all worlds
• sarvalokahitodyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + udyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: सर्वलोकस्य हिते उद्यतः; ‘षण्मुखः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: unspecified (implied audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva seated in relaxed majesty (sukhāsīna), serene and luminous; Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) stands or kneels with folded hands, asking with devotion for the good of all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṇmukha (Skanda)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional inquiry to the divine teacher (Śiva) is portrayed as a compassionate act for the benefit of all.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue is situated in Dvārakā Māhātmya, connecting the teaching-stream to Dvārakā’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the question-and-answer teaching.