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

তিনি সেখানে মহাতপস্যা করেন, যা দেবতাদের পক্ষেও অতি দুর্বহ; সেই স্থানে অবস্থানকারী দেবী আজও প্রিয়দর্শনা।

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.