Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तन्मे स्थानं महादेवि कैलासादपि वल्लभम् । गोचर्ममात्रं तत्रापि महागोप्यं वरानने

Transliteration

tanme sthānaṃ mahādevi kailāsādapi vallabham | gocarmamātraṃ tatrāpi mahāgopyaṃ varānane

Translation

ذلك الموضع لي، يا الإلهة العظمى، أحبّ إليّ حتى من كايلاسا. وإن كان بمقدار جلد بقرة فحسب، فهو شديد الكتمان، يا حسنة الوجه.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• me: my / of me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sthānam: place, abode
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• kailāsāt: from Kailāsa
• kailāsāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• vallabham: dear, beloved
• vallabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• go: cow
• go: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• carma: hide, skin
• carma: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• mātram: only as much as
• mātram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण; समासः (गो-चर्म-मात्रम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• mahāgopyam: highly secret
• mahāgopyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + gopya (प्रातिपदिक; √gup (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva’s guhya-sthāna within Prabhāsa (go-carma-mātra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva confides to Devī that a tiny, hidden sanctum within Prabhāsa is dearer than Kailāsa—depict a small glowing spot amid a vast coastal kṣetra, guarded by subtle signs of secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual greatness is not measured by size—even a tiny, hidden spot can surpass famed divine realms when sanctified by Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śiva’s especially beloved, secret locus within Prabhāsa-kṣetra (described as gocarma-mātra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the emphasis is on reverent secrecy and the extraordinary sanctity of the site.