Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

शंखावर्त्तमितिख्यातं यत्र चित्रांकिता शिला । स्वयंभूता महादेवि रक्तगर्भा सुशोभना

Transliteration

śaṃkhāvarttamitikhyātaṃ yatra citrāṃkitā śilā | svayaṃbhūtā mahādevi raktagarbhā suśobhanā

Translation

O Große Göttin, jener Ort ist als Śaṃkhāvartta bekannt, wo ein Stein mit wunderbaren Zeichen gezeichnet erscheint. Selbstoffenbart (svayambhū) und herrlich, trägt er im Innern einen rot schimmernden Kern.

Word by Word

• शंखावर्तम्: Śaṅkhāvarta (name of a place)
• शंखावर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular; place-name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश (quotative)

• ख्यातम्: known (as)
• ख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (known/called)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• चित्र-अंकिता: marked with pictures
• चित्र-अंकिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अंकित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) “अंकित”; विशेषण (agreeing with शिला)

• शिला: a stone/slab
• शिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (nominative singular)

• स्वयंभूता: self-manifest
• स्वयंभूता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (self-manifest)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन (vocative singular)

• रक्तगर्भा: having a red core
• रक्तगर्भा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि विशेषण (having a red interior)

• सुशोभना: very beautiful
• सुशोभना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (very beautiful)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate continuation in next adhyāya and māhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṃkhāvartta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of a wondrously inscribed stone at the tirtha; its surface bears unusual markings; a cut or fissure reveals a red-hued inner core, glowing as if alive.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Śaṃkhāvartta
• Śilā (sacred stone)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places reveal dharma through visible signs; the self-manifest mark of the tīrtha inspires faith and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṃkhāvartta tīrtha within Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa region) is being described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; the verse focuses on identifying the tīrtha by its sacred, self-manifest stone.