Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रं तु प्रथमं प्रोक्तं तच्च द्वादशयोजनम् । पञ्चयोजनमानेन क्षेत्रपीठं प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

kṣetraṃ tu prathamaṃ proktaṃ tacca dvādaśayojanam | pañcayojanamānena kṣetrapīṭhaṃ prakīrtitam

Translation

The first is called the “kṣetra,” and it measures twelve yojanas. The “kṣetra-pīṭha” is proclaimed as measuring five yojanas.

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रम्: the kṣetra (field/area)
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) — contrast/emphasis

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ordinal adjective

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'said/declared'

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• द्वादशयोजनम्: twelve-yojana (in measure)
• द्वादशयोजनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + योजन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'द्वादश योजनानि यस्य/परिमाणम्' = 'twelve-yojana in extent'

• पञ्चयोजनमानेन: by the measure of five yojanas
• पञ्चयोजनमानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + योजन + मान (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; instrumental singular; समासार्थ: 'पञ्चयोजनस्य मानम्'

• क्षेत्रपीठम्: the kṣetra-pīṭha (field-seat region)
• क्षेत्रपीठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + पीठ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'क्षेत्रस्य पीठम्'

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; 'proclaimed'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred ‘survey’ moment: Śiva specifies the yojana-measures of Prabhāsa’s outer kṣetra and inner pīṭha; imagined as concentric circles or mapped precincts around the central shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• kṣetra
• pīṭha
• yojana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa anchors devotion in tangible sacred geography—Prabhāsa’s sanctity is mapped with defined extents and inner zones.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose outer kṣetra and inner pīṭha are given precise measures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a geographical-ritual framework indicating where pilgrimage observances may be considered more potent.