Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तपः करोति विपुलं देवैरपि सुदुःसहम् । तत्र स्थले स्थिता देवी साऽद्यापि प्रियदर्शना

Transliteration

tapaḥ karoti vipulaṃ devairapi suduḥsaham | tatra sthale sthitā devī sā'dyāpi priyadarśanā

Translation

هناك تُجري تقشّفًا عظيمًا يعسر احتماله حتى على الآلهة؛ وهي قائمة في ذلك الموضع بعينه، لا تزال إلى اليوم حسنة المنظر، لطيفة الرؤية.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (कर्मरूपेण)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant; great
• विपुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तपः-विशेषण

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana/Agent-comparison (करण/तुल्य-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: even/also)

• सुदुःसहम्: very hard to endure
• सुदुःसहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःसह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद ‘सु’ (very) + ‘दुःसह’ (hard to endure)

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

• स्थले: in the place
• स्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थिता: remaining; staying
• स्थिता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today; even now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (today/now)

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

• प्रियदर्शना: pleasant-looking
• प्रियदर्शना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—प्रियं दर्शनं यस्याः (pleasant to behold)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Īśvara’s discourse in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Devī-tapas-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Devī / assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, the radiant Devī stands or sits in severe austerity—still, luminous, and beautiful—while gods look on in awe, unable to match her endurance; the landscape feels timeless.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas undertaken in a tīrtha is magnified; the sacred place is depicted as continually sanctified by the Goddess’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically “that spot” where the Devī is said to remain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity (tapas) is highlighted, though no specific vow or procedure is detailed.