Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

मंकीनाम ऋषिः पूर्वमासीत्स तपतां वरः । स च ज्ञात्वा महाक्षेत्रं प्रभासं शंकरप्रियम्

Transliteration

maṃkīnāma ṛṣiḥ pūrvamāsītsa tapatāṃ varaḥ | sa ca jñātvā mahākṣetraṃ prabhāsaṃ śaṃkarapriyam

Translation

Einst gab es einen Weisen namens Maṃkī, den Vorzüglichsten unter den Asketen. Und da er erkannte, dass Prabhāsa ein großes heiliges Gebiet ist, das Śaṅkara lieb ist,

Word by Word

• मंकीनाम्: of the Maṃkīs
• मंकीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपताम्: of the ascetics (those who practice austerity)
• तपताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• महाक्षेत्रम्: the great sacred field (holy region)
• महाक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शंकरप्रियम्: dear to Śaṅkara
• शंकरप्रियम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Śaṅkara-sya priyaḥ = dear to Śaṅkara)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Maṃkī, austere and radiant, stands at Prabhāsa’s sacred landscape, perceiving its Śiva-beloved nature; subtle divine signs (light, bilva trees, liṅga aura) indicate the kṣetra’s power.

Characters & Entities

• Maṃkī Ṛṣi
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True ascetics recognize sacred geography as a means to deepen devotion; Prabhāsa is presented as especially dear to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (the larger sacred region) is highlighted as Śaṅkara’s beloved field, setting the stage for Maṃkīśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the sage and the sanctity of Prabhāsa.