Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

त्रेतायुगे महादेवि द्वापरेऽपि तथैव च । कलियुगप्रवेशे तु वालखिल्या महर्षयः

Transliteration

tretāyuge mahādevi dvāpare'pi tathaiva ca | kaliyugapraveśe tu vālakhilyā maharṣayaḥ

Translation

O große Göttin, im Tretā-Yuga (Tretā Yuga) und ebenso im Dvāpara-Yuga (Dvāpara) war es gleichermaßen; und beim Eintritt des Kali-Yuga (Kali Yuga) traten auch die großen Weisen, die Vālakhilyas, dort hervor und wirkten.

Word by Word

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā Yuga
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता-युग (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: त्रेता + युग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (Yuga)
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (युगनाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in the same way)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

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

• कलियुगप्रवेशे: at the advent/entry of the Kali Yuga
• कलियुगप्रवेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि-युग-प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक; घटकौ: कलियुग + प्रवेश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kaliyugasya praveśe)

• तु: but/then
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय

• वालखिल्याः: the Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (ऋषिगण-नाम)

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (likely Skanda) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temporal montage: Tretā and Dvāpara scenes echoing worship at Prabhāsa, culminating in the threshold of Kali where Vālakhilya sages appear—tiny, radiant ascetics symbolizing ancient austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Tretā Yuga
• Dvāpara Yuga
• Kali Yuga
• Vālakhilya Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is validated by yuga-spanning engagement of realized sages, not limited to one era.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, presented as active and revered across multiple yugas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet explicit here; it introduces yuga-context and the participation of Vālakhilya sages.