Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

रत्नेश्वरे सहस्रं तु ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम् । अर्कस्थले महापुण्ये कोटिः साग्रा स्थिता शुभे

Transliteration

ratneśvare sahasraṃ tu ṛṣīṇāmūrddhvaretasām | arkasthale mahāpuṇye koṭiḥ sāgrā sthitā śubhe

Translation

In Ratneśvara weilen tausend Ṛṣis, die in strenger Enthaltsamkeit und Reinheit (ūrdhvareta) gefestigt sind. Und in dem hochverdienstvollen Arkasthala, an jenem glückverheißenden Ort, wohnt ein koṭi (und mehr).

Word by Word

• रत्नेश्वरे: at Ratneśvara
• रत्नेश्वरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्नेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (as number) one thousand

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle)

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• ऊर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्: of the celibate (lit. upward-semened)
• ऊर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्द्ध्वरेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; adjective qualifying ऋषीणाम् (‘of those whose semen is upward’ = celibate)

• अर्कस्थले: at Arka-sthala
• अर्कस्थले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्कस्थल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular

• महापुण्ये: in the very holy (place)
• महापुण्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; adjective to अर्कस्थले (‘in the greatly holy [place]’)

• कोटिः: a crore
• कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• साग्रा: and more
• साग्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective to कोटिः

• स्थिता: is situated
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agreeing with कोटिः

• शुभे: in the auspicious (place)
• शुभे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative epithet

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ratneśvara; Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred landscape dotted with liṅga-shrines—Ratneśvara and Arkasthala—where multitudes of austere sages with matted hair sit in meditation, fire-altars glowing, the sea-breeze and tīrtha-banners moving gently.

Characters & Entities

• Ratneśvara
• Arkasthala
• Ṛṣis
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-restraint and tapas flourish in sanctified landscapes; such places are revered as reservoirs of puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara and Arkasthala within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; the verse praises these sites by noting the presence of ascetic sages.