Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मेघवर्णं महादिव्यं राजतं च पुनः शुभम् । कपिलं दुग्धवर्णं च कर्पूराभं सुशोभनम्

Transliteration

meghavarṇaṃ mahādivyaṃ rājataṃ ca punaḥ śubham | kapilaṃ dugdhavarṇaṃ ca karpūrābhaṃ suśobhanam

Translation

يبدو بلون السحاب، عظيمًا بالغَ القداسة؛ ثم يبدو مرةً أخرى فضّيًا مباركًا. تارةً أشقرَ مائلًا إلى الصفرة، وتارةً أبيضَ كلون اللبن، وتارةً كالكافور، في غاية الحسن.

Word by Word

• मेघवर्णम्: cloud-colored
• मेघवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + वर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (cloud-colored)

• महादिव्यम्: greatly divine
• महादिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक; महा + दिव्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very divine)

• राजतम्: silvery
• राजतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (silvery)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again/further)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (auspicious)

• कपिलम्: tawny; brownish
• कपिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tawny)

• दुग्धवर्णम्: milk-colored
• दुग्धवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुग्ध-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; दुग्ध + वर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (milk-colored)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• कर्पूराभम्: camphor-white; camphor-like
• कर्पूराभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्पूर-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्पूर + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (camphor-like in appearance)

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very beautiful)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘देवि’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred expanse at Prabhāsa where a divine substance/waterscape shifts colors—cloud-dark, silver-bright, tawny, milk-white, camphor-white—glimmering as pilgrims watch in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Rasa (essence/alchemical fluid)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred manifests in many ‘varṇas’ (modes/appearances), indicating inexhaustible divine power within the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra kuṇḍa and its associated rasa, described through changing auspicious appearances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive māhātmya of the tīrtha’s wondrous substance.