Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तत्र चार्कप्रतीकाशं गर्भमुत्सृज्य सा तदा । प्राप्ता तपोवनं रम्यं यत्रासौ मुनिपुंगवः

Transliteration

tatra cārkapratīkāśaṃ garbhamutsṛjya sā tadā | prāptā tapovanaṃ ramyaṃ yatrāsau munipuṃgavaḥ

Translation

Leaving there the child, radiant like the sun, she then reached the lovely forest of austerities, where that foremost of sages resided.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

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

• अर्क-प्रतीकाशम्: sun-like in appearance
• अर्क-प्रतीकाशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (अर्कवत् प्रतीकाशः) विशेषण (qualifying 'garbham')

• गर्भम्: the fetus/embryo
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having cast out/abandoned'

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• प्राप्ता: reached
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (agreeing with 'सा')

• तपोवनम्: the forest of austerities (hermitage-grove)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः वनम्)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'tapovanam')

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनि-पुंगवः: the foremost of sages
• मुनि-पुंगवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां पुंगवः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (tapovana within)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (probable frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant infant, glowing like the sun, is left in a secluded spot; the mother figure moves onward into a tranquil tapovana with deer, sages, and sacrificial smoke rising under ancient trees.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci (implied as the foremost sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapovana and āśrama settings symbolize dharma, restraint, and spiritual power; the narrative uses sacred geography to frame destiny and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s tapovana/āśrama landscape associated with great sages such as Dadhīci.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse highlights the sanctity of a tapovana as a locus of tapas.