Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

त्रिनेत्रत्वमनुप्राप्तास्तपोनिष्ठास्तपोधनाः । परस्परं वीक्षमाणास्त्रिनेत्रस्याभिशंकया

Transliteration

trinetratvamanuprāptāstaponiṣṭhāstapodhanāḥ | parasparaṃ vīkṣamāṇāstrinetrasyābhiśaṃkayā

Translation

Established in austerity and rich in tapas, they attained three-eyedness; and, looking at one another, they wondered whether each had become like the Three-eyed Lord.

Word by Word

• त्रिनेत्रत्वम्: the state of being three-eyed
• त्रिनेत्रत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + नेत्र + त्व (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; ‘three-eyed-ness’ (state)

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having attained
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + प्र + आप् (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP) ‘having attained’

• तपोनिष्ठाः: steadfast in austerity
• तपोनिष्ठाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; ‘tapas-niṣṭha’ = devoted to austerity

• तपोधनाः: those whose wealth is penance (ascetics)
• तपोधनाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + धन (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः ‘येषां तपः धनम्’ (whose wealth is austerity)

• परस्परम्: mutually, each other
• परस्परम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: mutually)

• वीक्षमाणाः: looking (at one another)
• वीक्षमाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु) (शतृ-प्रत्यय; वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः वर्तमानकृदन्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• त्रिनेत्रस्य: of the three-eyed one
• त्रिनेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिके; समासः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (epithet)

• अभिशंकया: with suspicion
• अभिशंकया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + शङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचनम्; हेतौ/करणम् (with suspicion)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, still ascetic and austere, glance at one another in astonishment as a subtle third-eye mark appears on their foreheads; the atmosphere shimmers with tapas-heat.

Characters & Entities

• Trinetra (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intense tapas and dhyāna can produce Śiva-like qualities, symbolizing inner awakening and divine resemblance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where austerities are portrayed as extraordinarily potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Steadfast tapas and contemplative absorption (dhyāna) upon Śiva, leading to spiritual attainments.