Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं मुनीन्द्राः कथिते प्रभावे शंकरेण तु । पुनः पप्रच्छ सा देवी कृतांजलिपुटा सती

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ munīndrāḥ kathite prabhāve śaṃkareṇa tu | punaḥ papraccha sā devī kṛtāṃjalipuṭā satī

Translation

苏多（Sūta）说道：诸位最胜牟尼啊，当商羯罗（Śaṅkara）如此开示其威力之后，天女萨蒂（Satī）合掌恭敬，再次向他发问。

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (manner adverb)

• munīndrāḥ: O chiefs of sages / sage-lords
• munīndrāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहुवचन (contextually vocative ‘O best of sages’); समासः—तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां इन्द्राः)

• kathite: when (it was) narrated
• kathite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) → kathita (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) → सप्तमी-द्विवचन/एकवचन?; here locative singular neuter/masc in sense of ‘when (it was) told’: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (कथिते = कथिते [सप्तमी])

• prabhāve: in/with regard to the power (glory)
• prabhāve: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• śaṃkareṇa: by Śaṅkara
• śaṃkareṇa: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb)

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) / लुङ्-आर्ष?; सामान्यतः लिट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kṛta-añjali-puṭā: with folded hands
• kṛta-añjali-puṭā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृदन्त-क्त from kṛ) + añjali (प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृतः अञ्जलिपुटः यस्याः/या) → ‘with hands folded’

• satī: Satī (the virtuous one)
• satī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक संज्ञा

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Munīndras / foremost sages (Śaunaka-led)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates to assembled sages; within the narrative, Devī Satī stands/sits with folded hands, turning again to Śaṅkara to ask further about Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Devī Satī
• Munīndras (sages)
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent inquiry (praśna) is honored; sacred knowledge unfolds through humble questioning and teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra remains the subject, as the narrative transitions into further details of its greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No; it frames the discourse, highlighting reverence (añjali) as the proper attitude toward sacred teaching.