Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अथे भवदनः प्राह त्वां देवि विनयान्वितः । किं करोमि विशालाक्षि आदेशो दीयतां मम

Transliteration

athe bhavadanaḥ prāha tvāṃ devi vinayānvitaḥ | kiṃ karomi viśālākṣi ādeśo dīyatāṃ mama

Translation

于是婆伐陀那（Bhavadana）满怀谦恭，对女神说道：“大眼圣母啊，我当作何事？愿赐我敕命。”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• ए: O
• ए: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ए (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• भवदनः: Bhavadana (a name/epithet)
• भवदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘भवस्य दनः/दन्तः’ इति—शिव-सम्बद्ध-नाम (proper name/epithet)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘प्राह’ इति लिट्-रूप)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं (सर्वनाम), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनयान्वितः: endowed with humility
• विनयान्वितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (अनु+इ धातु → क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्—भवदनः; ‘विनयेन अन्वितः’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• करोमि: shall I do / do I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• विशालाक्षि: O wide-eyed one
• विशालाक्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः—‘विशाले अक्षिणी यस्याः सा’

• आदेशः: command/instruction
• आदेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be given’

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

Speaker

Bhavadana (the newly manifested being; elephant-faced figure in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhavadana stands with folded hands before the Goddess, eyes lowered in humility, asking for her command; the atmosphere is reverent and expectant.

Characters & Entities

• Bhavadana
• Bhagavatī (Goddess)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power must be guided by dharmic instruction; humility before the Divine is the proper beginning of service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra through the commissioning of a protector/obstacle-agent related to Somanātha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for divine आदेश (command) rather than a ritual rule.