Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । शृणु तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं शिवरात्रिमुपोषणात् । तस्मिञ्छिवपुरे रम्ये स्वर्गद्वारे सुशोभने

Transliteration

rājovāca | śṛṇu tīrthasya māhātmyaṃ śivarātrimupoṣaṇāt | tasmiñchivapure ramye svargadvāre suśobhane

Translation

রাজা বলল—শিবরাত্রিতে উপবাসের ফলে যে তীর্থের মাহাত্ম্য, তা শোনো; সেই মনোরম শিবপুরে, যা স্বর্গদ্বারের ন্যায় শোভিত।

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रयोगे (speaker tag)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred place (tīrtha)
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• शिवरात्रिम्: (the) Śivarātri night
• शिवरात्रिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य रात्रिः)

• उपोषणात्: from fasting (observance)
• उपोषणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपोषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (cause/source)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• शिवपुरे: in Śiva’s city
• शिवपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पुर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य पुरम्)

• रम्ये: delightful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शिवपुरे)

• स्वर्गद्वारे: at the gate of heaven
• स्वर्गद्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गस्य द्वारम्)

• सुशोभने: very splendid
• सुशोभने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग-युक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्वर्गद्वारे/शिवपुरे)

Speaker

Sudarśana (Rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivapura (as named sacred locale)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Queen

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king begins a formal narration: a visionary depiction of Śivapura—beautiful, radiant, and portrayed as a gateway to heaven—while he instructs the queen about Śivarātri fasting and the tīrtha’s greatness.

Characters & Entities

• Sudarśana
• Śivarātri
• Tīrtha
• Śivapura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fasting and devotion on Śivarātri are linked with tīrtha-mahātmya—discipline plus sacred place intensifies merit and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śivapura is praised as ‘svarga-dvāra’; within this adhyāya it is situated in the Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upoṣaṇa (fasting/observance) on Śivarātri.