Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । इत्याश्चर्यमिदं देव त्वत्तः सर्वं मया श्रुतम् । महिमानं महेशस्य विस्तरेण समुद्भवम् । सांप्रतं सोमनाथस्य यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

devyuvāca | ityāścaryamidaṃ deva tvattaḥ sarvaṃ mayā śrutam | mahimānaṃ maheśasya vistareṇa samudbhavam | sāṃprataṃ somanāthasya yathāvadvaktumarhasi

Translation

女神说道：“噢主宰，我已从你处完整聆听这奇妙的叙述——大自在天（Maheśa）的威德如何详尽显现。如今，请你如法如实地为我宣说有关娑摩那他（Somanātha）之事。”

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular, Perfect, Parasmaipada)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder; marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• देव: O god; O Lord
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative verbal notion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular); भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• महिमानम्: greatness; glory
• महिमानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• महेशस्य: of Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• विस्तरेण: in detail; expansively
• विस्तरेण: Karana (Manner/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular); प्रकार/उपायवाचक

• समुद्भवम्: arising; originating
• समुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-भू (धातु) → समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); विशेषणम् (महिमानम्)

• सांप्रतम्: now; at present
• सांप्रतम्: Kala (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक-अव्यय, adverb of time)

• सोमनाथस्य: of Somanātha
• सोमनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• यथावत्: properly; as it should be
• यथावत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: properly, duly)

• वक्तुम्: to speak; to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (to speak)

• अर्हसि: you ought; you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (2nd person singular, Present)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva/Mahādeva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī (Devī) respectfully questions Īśvara about Somanātha’s true greatness; a calm, intimate dialogue setting, suggesting a sacred narrative transition from general Maheśa-mahimā to specific kṣetra-mahātmyam.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Somanātha
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True understanding of a sacred place arises through humble inquiry and attentive hearing within a dharmic teacher–disciple dialogue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somanātha, the renowned Śiva-tīrtha of Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription yet—this verse opens the inquiry that leads into yātrā-vidhi (pilgrimage procedure).