Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पुराऽसीद्गौतमोनाम महर्षिः शंसितव्रतः । भृगुकल्पात्समायातः क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके शुभे

Transliteration

purā'sīdgautamonāma maharṣiḥ śaṃsitavrataḥ | bhṛgukalpātsamāyātaḥ kṣetre prābhāsike śubhe

Translation

In alter Zeit lebte ein großer ṛṣi namens Gautama, gerühmt wegen seiner strengen Gelübde. Aus Bhṛgu-kalpa kam er in das glückverheißende heilige Gebiet von Prābhāsa.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Adverbial (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

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

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Apposition marker (नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• महर्षिः: great sage
• महर्षिः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शंसितव्रतः: of praised vows; renowned for vows
• शंसितव्रतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शंसितं व्रतं यस्य)

• भृगुकल्पात्: from Bhṛgu-kalpa
• भृगुकल्पात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगुकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भृगूणां कल्पः)

• समायातः: having come; arrived
• समायातः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) → समायात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृसमानााधिकरण

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्राभासिके: in Prābhāsa (Prabhāsa-related)
• प्राभासिके: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of क्षेत्रे)

• शुभे: auspicious
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of क्षेत्रे)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration from v.16)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable Gautama—matted locks, kamaṇḍalu, deer-skin—arrives from afar and beholds the auspicious expanse of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with distant temple spires and coastal light.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama Mahārṣi
• Bhṛgu-kalpa
• Prābhāsika Kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s greatness is introduced through the movements and vows of realized sages, presenting pilgrimage as a dharmic, transformative journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prābhāsika Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), setting the scene for Preta-tīrtha’s account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse begins a tīrtha-kathā by introducing Gautama and his arrival.