Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

क्षेत्राणि सरितश्चैव पर्वताश्च नदा स्तथा । ऋषीणां तपसो वीर्यान्माहात्म्यं परमं गताः

Transliteration

kṣetrāṇi saritaścaiva parvatāśca nadā stathā | ṛṣīṇāṃ tapaso vīryānmāhātmyaṃ paramaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

Heilige Regionen, Flüsse, Berge und ebenso Bäche gelangen zu höchstem Ruhm und zur Heiligkeit durch die kraftvolle Wirksamkeit der Askesen (tapas) der ṛṣis.

Word by Word

• क्षेत्राणि: sacred fields/regions
• क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नदाः: streams/rivers
• नदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वीर्यात्: from (their) power/energy
• वीर्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, sanctity
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (माहात्म्यस्य)

• गताः: have attained
• गताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past active participle in sense/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे विधेय

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice; implied)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic tableau of sages performing austerities on riverbanks and mountain caves; their tapas radiates as light that sanctifies the surrounding kṣetra, turning ordinary nature into a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places become supremely sanctified through the spiritual power (tapas) of realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the principle behind tīrtha-glory in general, preparing for Arbuda’s specific māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes tapas as the source of sanctity.