Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पूर्वं दशरथो योऽसौ सूर्यवंशविभूषणः । प्रभासं क्षेत्रमासाद्य तपश्चक्रे सुदुश्चरम्

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ daśaratho yo'sau sūryavaṃśavibhūṣaṇaḥ | prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāsādya tapaścakre suduścaram

Translation

Formerly, Daśaratha—an ornament of the Solar dynasty—reached the sacred field of Prabhāsa and performed austerities that were exceedingly difficult.

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb ‘formerly/earlier’

• दशरथः: Daśaratha
• दशरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• असौ: that (person), he
• असौ: Apposition to Karta (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ demonstrative pronoun

• सूर्यवंशविभूषणः: ornament/glory of the Solar dynasty
• सूर्यवंशविभूषणः: Apposition/Predicate nominative (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-वंश-वि-भूषण (प्रातिपदिक); भूष् (धातु) + ल्युट् → भूषण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘सूर्यवंशस्य विभूषणः’

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Purvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having reached/approached’

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

• चक्रे: performed, did
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सुदुश्चरम्: very difficult (to perform)
• सुदुश्चरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुस्-चर (प्रातिपदिक); √चर् (धातु) + खल्/अच् → चर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘अतिदुश्चरम्’—qualifying तपः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Daśaratha arrives at Prabhāsa, lays aside royal comfort, and performs fierce austerities near a sacred shore/temple precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Sūryavaṃśa
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is portrayed as a power-place where disciplined tapas bears great fruit, even for royal householders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), the sacred field where Daśaratha undertook severe austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is highlighted as the practice undertaken at Prabhāsa.