Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ममैव निमिषार्द्धेन सहस्राणि चतुर्द्दश । विनश्यंति ततो विष्णोरसंख्याताः पितामहाः

Transliteration

mamaiva nimiṣārddhena sahasrāṇi caturddaśa | vinaśyaṃti tato viṣṇorasaṃkhyātāḥ pitāmahāḥ

Translation

میرے آدھے پلک جھپکنے میں ہی چودہ ہزار (ایسے چکر) فنا ہو جاتے ہیں؛ اور اس کے بعد وِشنو کے بے شمار پِتامہ—برہما—بھی گزر جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

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

• निमिषार्द्धेन: by half a wink (half a moment)
• निमिषार्द्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष + अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (measure of time)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective), सहस्राणि-विशेषण (qualifies 'thousands')

• विनश्यन्ति: perish
• विनश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• ततः: thereupon/from that
• ततः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक-प्रयोग (from that/thereupon)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण

• पितामहाः: Brahmās (grandfathers/creators)
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from address to Devī/Parvatī in this adhyāya sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic scale-contrast: the Supreme (Viṣṇu as Mahāviṣṇu) serene on the cosmic ocean; from His breath/measure, countless lotus-stalks arise each bearing a Brahmā, while time-wheels collapse in half a wink; below, Prabhāsa shore and Somnātha stand as the pilgrim’s tangible gateway to the transcendent.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme transcends even the greatest cosmic administrators; liberation comes from realizing the divine beyond time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the Māhātmya context; the site’s greatness is reinforced through revelations of cosmic transcendence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological statement about divine time and dissolution.