Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

निःसन्दिग्धं तु संक्षेपात्पुरा पृष्टं यतस्त्वया । उद्देशमात्रं कथितं श्रीसोमेशगुणान्प्रति । समुद्रस्येव रत्नानामचिन्त्यस्तस्य विस्तरः

Transliteration

niḥsandigdhaṃ tu saṃkṣepātpurā pṛṣṭaṃ yatastvayā | uddeśamātraṃ kathitaṃ śrīsomeśaguṇānprati | samudrasyeva ratnānāmacintyastasya vistaraḥ

Translation

既因汝昔日以简要而问，我亦无疑而以略说相答——但略举圣者室利·娑摩伊沙（Someśa）之德。其德之广大不可思议，犹如大海所藏无量宝珠。

Word by Word

• niḥsandigdham: undoubted, certain
• niḥsandigdham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥsandigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• saṃkṣepāt: briefly, in summary (lit. from brevity)
• saṃkṣepāt: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन (singular)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb: formerly)

• pṛṣṭam: was asked
• pṛṣṭam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• yataḥ: since, because
• yataḥ: Avyaya (Causal/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेतुवाचक (causal: since/because)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन (singular)

• uddeśa-mātram: only an outline, mere indication
• uddeśa-mātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uddeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारयार्थे: 'mere mention'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• kathitam: was told
• kathitam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• śrī-someśa-guṇān: the qualities of Śrī Someśa
• śrī-someśa-guṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + someśa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'of Śrī-Someśa'), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन (plural)

• prati: towards, regarding
• prati: Upapada/Avyaya (Postposition/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपपद (towards/with regard to)

• samudrasya: of the ocean
• samudrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (singular)

• iva: like
• iva: Avyaya (Comparison/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: like)

• ratnānām: of gems
• ratnānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन (plural)

• acintyaḥ: inconceivable
• acintyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-cintya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• tasya: of that (of him/it)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (singular)

• vistaraḥ: extent, elaboration
• vistaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī-Someśvara (Somnātha) in Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva explains to Devī that he spoke only briefly; behind them the vast ocean suggests countless gems, symbolizing Someśvara’s immeasurable virtues.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Śrī Someśa (Somnātha/Śiva)
• Ocean (samudra)
• Gems (ratna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha-deity’s greatness is portrayed as limitless; scripture offers an outline, while lived devotion discovers depth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra through the praise of Śrī Someśa (Somnātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames the discourse as a brief indication of a far vaster māhātmya.