Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

चत्वारिंशद्वयं चैव क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः । एवं परार्द्धमगमत्प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनः

Transliteration

catvāriṃśadvayaṃ caiva kṣetramadhyanivāsinaḥ | evaṃ parārddhamagamatprabhāsakṣetravāsinaḥ

Translation

Dwelling in the very heart of the sacred field, he remained there for forty-two years; thus, for the one residing in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, it is said that a ‘parārdha’—a vast half-span of Brahmā’s life—had elapsed.

Word by Word

• चत्वारिंशद्वयम्: forty-two
• चत्वारिंशद्वयम्: Karma/Pramāṇa (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चत्वारिंशत् + द्वय = 42)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (indeed/only)

• क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः: those dwelling in the middle of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + मध्य + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (क्षेत्रस्य मध्ये निवासिनः)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक

• परार्द्धम्: a parārdha (half of Brahmā’s lifespan)
• परार्द्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परार्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अगमत्: passed / went by
• अगमत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनः: the residents of the Prabhāsa field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास + क्षेत्र + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रभासक्षेत्रे वासिनः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the luminous heart of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, a devotee-sage resides steadily; behind him the sacred landscape radiates, while cosmic time (kalpa-wheels, sun-moon cycles) appears miniaturized, suggesting that forty-two human years equal an immense ‘parārdha’ by kṣetra-power.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Parārdha
• Brahmā (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is depicted as a kṣetra where cosmic time is contemplated through sacred residence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, especially its ‘kṣetra-madhya’ (central sanctified zone).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes the merit and mystery associated with residing in the kṣetra.