Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पलालधूमसंकाशो ग्रहपीडापहारकः । तत्राकरोत्तपश्चोग्रं दिव्याब्दानां शतं प्रिये

Transliteration

palāladhūmasaṃkāśo grahapīḍāpahārakaḥ | tatrākarottapaścograṃ divyābdānāṃ śataṃ priye

Translation

Dem Rauch von Spreu gleich, nimmt er die Bedrängnisse hinweg, die durch die Grahas entstehen. Dort, o Geliebte, vollzog er strenge Askese hundert göttliche Jahre lang.

Word by Word

• पलाल: chaff
• पलाल: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “of chaff”

• धूम: smoke
• धूम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “smoke”

• संकाशः: resembling
• संकाशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “resembling”

• ग्रह: planets
• ग्रह: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “of planets”

• पीडा: affliction
• पीडा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “affliction”

• अपहारकः: remover
• अपहारकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप + हृ (धातु) → अपहारक (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-ण्वुल्)
• Form: ण्वुल्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “remover”

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place) — “there”

• अकरोत्: performed
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “did/performed”

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — “austerity”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उग्रम्: severe
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “severe”

• दिव्य: divine
• दिव्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (in compound) — “divine”

• अब्दानाम्: of years
• अब्दानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — “of years”

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — “a hundred”

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — “O beloved”

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ketu-liṅga at Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A smoke-hued, ascetic figure (Ketu archetype) stands in severe tapas at Prabhāsa near the sea, body austere and radiant; subtle planetary symbols hover as his austerity ripens over ‘hundred divine years’.

Characters & Entities

• Ketu
• Graha-pīḍā
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity and Śiva-centered sanctity are portrayed as the means by which even planetary suffering is alleviated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ketuliṅga in Prabhāsakṣetra, connected to Ketu and relief from graha-pīḍā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is described (performed by Ketu); implied devotional visitation for graha-śānti, though not detailed here.