Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

बहुवर्षसहस्रैस्तु प्रसन्ने धरणीधरे । भित्त्वा जलं समुत्तस्थौ तेजोरूपं दुरासदम्

Transliteration

bahuvarṣasahasraistu prasanne dharaṇīdhare | bhittvā jalaṃ samuttasthau tejorūpaṃ durāsadam

Translation

وبعد آلافٍ كثيرة من السنين، لما رضي حاملُ الأرض، نهض—مخترقًا المياه—شكلٌ من نورٍ خالص، مهيبٌ عسيرُ الدنوّ لفرط بهائه.

Word by Word

• बहुवर्षसहस्रैः: by many thousands of years
• बहुवर्षसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/means; here duration-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहूनि वर्षसहस्राणि)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• प्रसन्ने: when (he/it) was pleased
• प्रसन्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• धरणीधरे: in the mountain (earth-holder)
• धरणीधरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धरणीं धरति इति)

• भित्त्वा: having split/pierced
• भित्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुत्तस्थौ: arose; emerged
• समुत्तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तेजोरूपम्: a radiant form
• तेजोरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तेजसः रूपम्)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach
• दुरासदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (दुरासदम् = दुर्गमम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Dvārakā-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā coastal tīra (prādurbhāva-sthala)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the māhātmya narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After aeons of austerity, the waters split and a towering, blinding column/form of radiance rises, making the onlookers appear small against the luminous emergence.

Characters & Entities

• Dharaṇīdhara
• Tejas (radiant form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace ripens over time; when the cosmic supporter is pleased, the Lord’s power manifests as irresistible, purifying radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Dvārakā-māhātmya within the Prabhāsa tradition, framing Dvārakā’s sacred landscape through miraculous manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it sets the scene for reverence toward the manifested divine power.