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
六面者善穆迦（Śaṇmukha，斯甘达），为利益一切世界，以虔敬之心请问安坐自在的摩诃提婆——宇宙之至上因。
Word by Word
sukhāsīnamseated comfortably
sukhāsīnam:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
TypeAdjective
Rootsukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: सुखेन आसीनः (seated comfortably); ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
mahādevamMahādeva (Śiva)
mahādevam:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: महान् देवः
jagataḥof the world
jagataḥ:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootjagat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
kāraṇamthe cause
kāraṇam:
Karma (Object complement)
TypeNoun
Rootkāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महादेवम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (appositional)
paramsupreme
param:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कāraṇam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
papracchaasked
papraccha:
Kriyā (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootprach (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी
ṣaṇmukhaḥṢaṇmukha (six-faced one)
ṣaṇmukhaḥ:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootṣaṇ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: षण्मुखानि यस्य सः (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
bhaktyāwith devotion
bhaktyā:
Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
TypeNoun
Rootbhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन
sarvalokahitodyataḥintent on the welfare of all worlds
sarvalokahitodyataḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + hita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + udyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
Ś
Śaṇmukha (Skanda)M
Mahādeva (Śiva)FAQs
Devotional inquiry to the divine teacher (Śiva) is portrayed as a compassionate act for the benefit of all.
The dialogue is situated in Dvārakā Māhātmya, connecting the teaching-stream to Dvārakā’s sacred geography.
None; it introduces the question-and-answer teaching.