Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सुराष्ट्रदेशो विख्यातो गिरी रैवतको महान् । भवः स्वयंभूर्भगवान्क्षेत्रे वस्त्रापथे श्रुतः

Transliteration

surāṣṭradeśo vikhyāto girī raivatako mahān | bhavaḥ svayaṃbhūrbhagavānkṣetre vastrāpathe śrutaḥ

Translation

Das Land Surāṣṭra ist weithin berühmt, und auch der große Berg Raivataka ist gerühmt. Im heiligen Kṣetra von Vastrāpatha wird der erhabene Herr Bhava (Śiva) als Svayaṃbhū verehrt — der aus sich selbst Hervorgegangene.

Word by Word

• सुराष्ट्रदेशः: the country of Saurāṣṭra
• सुराष्ट्रदेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराष्ट्र + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विख्यातः: renowned
• विख्यातः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Past participle used adjectivally)

• गिरिः: mountain
• गिरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• रैवतकः: Raivataka (name of a mountain)
• रैवतकः: Apposition/Predicative complement (सम्बोधन/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• स्वयंभूः: self-born
• स्वयंभूः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपाधि-शब्द (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; epithet)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• वस्त्रापथे: at Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• श्रुतः: is known/heard of
• श्रुतः: Main predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रसिद्ध’ अर्थे (Past participle; ‘heard of/known’)

Speaker

King Bhoja (Rājā) (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpathakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Panoramic sacred map: the Saurashtra land, the towering Raivataka mountain, and within it/near it the Vastrāpatha kṣetra where a Svayaṃbhū Śiva presence is indicated by an uncarved, naturally arisen liṅga radiating light.

Characters & Entities

• Surāṣṭra
• Raivataka
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Svayaṃbhū
• Vastrāpatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy geography is sanctified by the presence of a Svayaṃbhū (self-manifest) form of Śiva, making the kṣetra intrinsically powerful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Surāṣṭra region, with reference to Raivataka mountain and the Svayaṃbhū Bhava (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse establishes the site’s authority by naming its sacred geography and Svayaṃbhū presence.