Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यावत्पश्यति तं विप्रस्तावत्पश्यति शंकरम् । दिगंबरं भवं देवं समंतादश्मगुंठितम्

Transliteration

yāvatpaśyati taṃ viprastāvatpaśyati śaṃkaram | digaṃbaraṃ bhavaṃ devaṃ samaṃtādaśmaguṃṭhitam

Translation

ما دامَ البراهمنُ يحدّق فيه (بهاسكرا)، فبقدر ذلك كان يُبصر أيضًا شانكَرا—بهافا، الإله الدِّغامبرا المتوشّح بالجهات—محاطًا من كل جانب بكتلٍ صخرية عظيمة.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as / as far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-सम्बन्ध (correlative adverb: 'as long as/so far as')

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd sg. pres.)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun, acc. sg. m.)

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg. m.)

• तावत्: so long / that long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सहसम्बन्ध (correlative adverb: 'so long/that long')

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd sg. pres.)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg. m.)

• दिगंबरम्: sky-clad (naked)
• दिगंबरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिक् + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (acc. sg. m.)

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg. m.)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg. m.)

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: 'on all sides')

• अश्मगुंठितम्: enclosed/covered with stones
• अश्मगुंठितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्मन् + √गुंठ् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ppp, acc. sg. m.)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-śikhara (rock-ringed Śiva-vision spot)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: As the brāhmaṇa fixes his gaze on the radiant sun, Śaṅkara appears simultaneously—Digambara, austere, surrounded by rugged rocks—suggesting the mountain itself as Śiva’s body.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Bhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True vision in a tīrtha reveals unity—contemplation of one divine form opens into darśana of another (Sūrya and Śiva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rocky, encircled summit of Vastrāpathakṣetra where Śiva is perceived as Digambara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it implies sustained gazing/meditation (dhyāna) leading to divine darśana.