Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तदा श्वेतस्य संसारग्रन्थेरत्यन्तदुर्भिदः । परं निर्मूलविच्छेदि क्रियतां तद्भवार्चनम्

Transliteration

tadā śvetasya saṃsāragrantheratyantadurbhidaḥ | paraṃ nirmūlavicchedi kriyatāṃ tadbhavārcanam

Translation

Therefore, let the worship of Bhava (Śiva) be performed—the supreme act that cuts the knot of saṃsāra, so hard to break, severing it from the root.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'then')

• श्वेतस्य: of Śveta
• श्वेतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संसारग्रन्थेः: of the knot of worldly existence
• संसारग्रन्थेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार-ग्रन्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य ग्रन्थिः)

• अत्यन्तदुर्भिदः: of (one) extremely hard to break
• अत्यन्तदुर्भिदः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त-दुर्भिद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं दुर्भिदः = extremely hard to break)

• परम्: supreme; complete
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• निर्मूलविच्छेदि: root-cutting; uprooting (destroying at the root)
• निर्मूलविच्छेदि: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मूल-विच्छेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निर्मूलः विच्छेदः यस्य/यत्)

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'let it be done'

• तद्भवार्चनम्: worship arising from that (i.e., devotion born of that)
• तद्भवार्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-भव-अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तस्य भवः = तद्भवः; तद्भवस्य अर्चनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; verse appears as exhortation within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, thick knot labeled ‘saṃsāra-granthi’ binds a human figure; a radiant Śiva (or liṅga) emits a blade-like beam that slices the knot cleanly from the root, freeing the figure into open sky.

Characters & Entities

• Śveta
• Bhava
• Śiva
• Saṃsāra-granthi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-worship (Bhavārcana) is presented as a liberating practice that uproots the deepest bondage of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching sacred setting of the instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhavārcana—ritual worship/arcana of Bhava (Śiva).