Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्काले तदा तत्र गते वर्षसहस्रके । ततः कृत्वा तपश्चायं प्रत्यक्षीकृतशंकरः

Transliteration

tasminkāle tadā tatra gate varṣasahasrake | tataḥ kṛtvā tapaścāyaṃ pratyakṣīkṛtaśaṃkaraḥ

Translation

At that time, in that place, when a thousand years had passed, he undertook austerity; and by the power of that tapas he caused Śaṅkara (Śiva) to manifest before him in direct vision.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गते: when (it) had passed
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• वर्षसहस्रके: in (the period of) a thousand years
• वर्षसहस्रके: Adhikarana (Time measure/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षीकृतशंकरः: one who had made Śaṅkara manifest (seen directly)
• प्रत्यक्षीकृतशंकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्षी-कृत + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण: ‘येन शंकरः प्रत्यक्षीकृतः’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (tapas-sthāna leading to Śaṅkara-darśana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After a thousand years of austerity at Prabhāsa, Candra stands emaciated yet radiant in tapas; Śaṅkara appears directly before him, luminous and compassionate, granting vision.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Moon (implied)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained tapas, especially when undertaken at a holy kṣetra, culminates in direct realization—Śiva’s darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, the ‘there’ where long austerities ripen into divine manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) over an extended period is highlighted as the discipline leading to divine encounter.