Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नन्दिकेश्वर उवाच । शासनाद्देवदेवस्य भवतां पार्श्वमागतः । आज्ञापयति देवेशस्तपस्विगणमण्डलम्

Transliteration

nandikeśvara uvāca | śāsanāddevadevasya bhavatāṃ pārśvamāgataḥ | ājñāpayati deveśastapasvigaṇamaṇḍalam

Translation

Nandikeśvara nói: “Theo mệnh lệnh của Đấng Thần của các thần, ta đã đến trước các ngươi. Chúa tể chư thiên ban chỉ dụ cho hội chúng các bậc khổ hạnh này.”

Word by Word

• nandikeśvaraḥ: Nandikeśvara
• nandikeśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandin (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “Nandin’s lord / Lord Nandin” (proper name)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śāsanāt: by command; from the order
• śāsanāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• devadevasya: of the God of gods
• devadevasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः— “god of gods”

• bhavatām: of you (hon.)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (आदरार्थ), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• pārśvam: to the side; presence
• pārśvam: Adhikaraṇa (Goal/location as object/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• āgataḥ: has come; arrived
• āgataḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त (PPP used adjectivally) — “having come/arrived”

• ājñāpayati: commands; orders
• ājñāpayati: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ājñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• deveśaḥ: the Lord of gods
• deveśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “Lord of gods”

• tapasvi-gaṇa-maṇḍalam: the assembly of groups of ascetics
• tapasvi-gaṇa-maṇḍalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapasvin (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः— “of ascetics” + “group” + “assembly/circle”

Speaker

Nandikeśvara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Pāśupateśvara-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tapassvigaṇa/ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandīkeśvara stands before a semicircle of ascetics, right hand raised in formal address, the lotus-stalk held as a sign; behind him the liṅga shrine glows with lamps, conveying that the message comes from the deity’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Nandikeśvara
• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Tapasvigaṇa (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine instruction should be received with reverence; a messenger of dharma speaks with Śiva’s authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within whose narrative Śiva’s command and sacred movement are described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; this verse conveys a formal divine summons to ascetics.