Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तन्मे स्थानं महादेवि कैलासादपि वल्लभम् । गोचर्ममात्रं तत्रापि महागोप्यं वरानने

Transliteration

tanme sthānaṃ mahādevi kailāsādapi vallabham | gocarmamātraṃ tatrāpi mahāgopyaṃ varānane

Translation

Jener Ort, o Große Göttin, ist mir lieber sogar als Kailāsa. Obgleich er nur das Maß einer Kuhhaut hat, ist er höchst geheim, o Schönangesichtige.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• me: my / of me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• sthānam: place, abode
• sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• kailāsāt: from Kailāsa
• kailāsāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• vallabham: dear, beloved
• vallabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• go: cow
• go: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• carma: hide, skin
• carma: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• mātram: only as much as
• mātram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण; समासः (गो-चर्म-मात्रम्)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• mahāgopyam: highly secret
• mahāgopyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + gopya (प्रातिपदिक; √gup (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śiva’s guhya-sthāna within Prabhāsa (go-carma-mātra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva confides to Devī that a tiny, hidden sanctum within Prabhāsa is dearer than Kailāsa—depict a small glowing spot amid a vast coastal kṣetra, guarded by subtle signs of secrecy.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual greatness is not measured by size—even a tiny, hidden spot can surpass famed divine realms when sanctified by Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śiva’s especially beloved, secret locus within Prabhāsa-kṣetra (described as gocarma-mātra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the emphasis is on reverent secrecy and the extraordinary sanctity of the site.