Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

बहुवर्षसहस्रैस्तु प्रसन्ने धरणीधरे । भित्त्वा जलं समुत्तस्थौ तेजोरूपं दुरासदम्

Transliteration

bahuvarṣasahasraistu prasanne dharaṇīdhare | bhittvā jalaṃ samuttasthau tejorūpaṃ durāsadam

Translation

Nach vielen Tausenden von Jahren, als der Träger der Erde gnädig gestimmt war, erhob sich—die Wasser durchbrechend—eine Gestalt aus reinem Glanz, furchtgebietend und in ihrer Pracht unnahbar.

Word by Word

• बहुवर्षसहस्रैः: by many thousands of years
• बहुवर्षसहस्रैः: Karana (Instrument/means; here duration-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहूनि वर्षसहस्राणि)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• प्रसन्ने: when (he/it) was pleased
• प्रसन्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• धरणीधरे: in the mountain (earth-holder)
• धरणीधरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धरणीं धरति इति)

• भित्त्वा: having split/pierced
• भित्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुत्तस्थौ: arose; emerged
• समुत्तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तेजोरूपम्: a radiant form
• तेजोरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तेजसः रूपम्)

• दुरासदम्: hard to approach
• दुरासदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आसद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (दुरासदम् = दुर्गमम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Dvārakā-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā coastal tīra (prādurbhāva-sthala)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the māhātmya narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After aeons of austerity, the waters split and a towering, blinding column/form of radiance rises, making the onlookers appear small against the luminous emergence.

Characters & Entities

• Dharaṇīdhara
• Tejas (radiant form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace ripens over time; when the cosmic supporter is pleased, the Lord’s power manifests as irresistible, purifying radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Dvārakā-māhātmya within the Prabhāsa tradition, framing Dvārakā’s sacred landscape through miraculous manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it sets the scene for reverence toward the manifested divine power.