Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अखनंस्तत्र वल्मीकं कुशीभिः पर्वतोपमम्

Transliteration

akhanaṃstatra valmīkaṃ kuśībhiḥ parvatopamam

Translation

Dort gruben sie den ameisenhügel, berggleich an Größe, mit kuśa (Werkzeugen aus Kuśa-Gras) auf.

Word by Word

• अखनन्: they dug
• अखनन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• वल्मीकम्: an anthill
• वल्मीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular)

• कुशीभिः: with spades/digging tools
• कुशीभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम् (feminine), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• पर्वतोपमम्: mountain-like
• पर्वतोपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम् (singular); उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वत-उपमः = पर्वतसदृशः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (vāl्मīka-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages carefully dig into an enormous anthill using kuśa grass, treating the mound like a sacred object; earth parts to reveal what lies within.

Characters & Entities

• Valmīka
• Kuśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent effort guided by faith uncovers what is concealed—both physically and spiritually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, depicted as a place where hidden tapas and siddhi are discovered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite, but kuśa—used widely in Vedic-purāṇic practice—signals ritual purity and sacred intent.