Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अहो क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं सर्वशास्त्रेषु विश्रुतम् । अहो क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं शृण्वंतु ऋषयोऽमलाः

Transliteration

aho kṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ sarvaśāstreṣu viśrutam | aho kṣetrasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇvaṃtu ṛṣayo'malāḥ

Translation

O! Die Größe dieses heiligen Kṣetra ist in allen Śāstras gerühmt. O! Mögen die makellosen Ṛṣis erneut die Größe dieses Kṣetra vernehmen!

Word by Word

• अहो: ah! indeed
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वशास्त्रेषु: in all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-śāstra (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + शास्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• विश्रुतम्: well-known, renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Karta-predicate (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-śru (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (माहात्म्यम्)

• अहो: ah! indeed
• अहो: Sambodhana/Exclamation (सम्बोधन/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार-अव्यय (interjection)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: the glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शृण्वन्तु: let (them) hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अमलाः: pure, stainless
• अमलाः: Karta-qualifier (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ऋषयः)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ amalāḥ (assembly of stainless sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda addressing an assembly of pure sages, urging them to hear again the famed greatness of the kṣetra; a setting of discourse and sacred listening.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Śāstra (sacred teachings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya is not mere local lore; it is upheld as śāstra-supported teaching meant to be heard and preserved by sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā-kṣetra (implicit), whose glory is said to be famous in all śāstras.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa (hearing) of māhātmya as a dharmic, merit-giving act; no specific rite is detailed.