Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

एतेन मरणं ज्ञातं मदीयं पूर्वजन्मनि । वस्त्रापथे महाक्षेत्रे तपस्तप्तं भवालये

Transliteration

etena maraṇaṃ jñātaṃ madīyaṃ pūrvajanmani | vastrāpathe mahākṣetre tapastaptaṃ bhavālaye

Translation

„Durch ihn wurde mein Tod in einer früheren Geburt erkannt – als ich im großen heiligen Feld von Vastrāpatha, in der Wohnstatt Bhavas (Śivas), Tapas (Askese) übte.“

Word by Word

• एतेन: by this / with this
• एतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-शब्दः (instrumental singular, neuter)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (nominative/accusative singular, neuter)

• ज्ञातम्: was known / ascertained
• ज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘known/ascertained’ (past passive participle)

• मदीयम्: my
• मदीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with मरणम्)

• पूर्वजन्मनि: in a former birth
• पूर्वजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वस्य जन्मनि) (locative singular, neuter)

• वस्त्रापथे: in Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वस्त्राणां पथः) (locative singular, masculine)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्) (locative singular, neuter)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते (tapas)

• तप्तम्: was performed
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘performed/undertaken’ (past passive participle)

• भवालये: in the abode of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भवस्य आलयः) (locative singular, masculine)

Speaker

Mṛgī (doe-woman / Mṛgalocanā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: royal household/king’s circle (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The doe-woman recounts a former-birth death connected to austerity at Vastrāpatha, depicted as a Śiva-abode: a sacred grove/temple-field with liṅga, ascetic posture, and a shadow of mortality transformed into devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛgī
• Sārasvata
• Vastrāpatha
• Bhava (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas performed at Śiva’s sacred abode bears profound karmic consequences, and its truths may be revealed through realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra, especially Bhavālaya (Śiva’s abode/temple) within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) at Bhava’s abode is referenced as a spiritually potent practice tied to the site.