Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सोमेशादीशदिग्भागे वरारोहेति या स्मृता । अमा कला सा सोमस्य उमा पश्चात्प्रकीर्त्तिता

Transliteration

someśādīśadigbhāge varāroheti yā smṛtā | amā kalā sā somasya umā paścātprakīrttitā

Translation

In the direction of Somnātha (Someśa), in the lordly quarter, she who is remembered as Varārohā is the Amā-kalā of Soma; thereafter she is also proclaimed as Umā.

Word by Word

• सोमेश: of Soma’s lord (Someshvara)
• सोमेश: Adhikarana (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमेश (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य ईशः), एकवचन, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) — ‘of Soma’s lord’ (as first member in compound)

• आदीश: of Ādīśa (a lord-name)
• आदीश: Adhikarana (Locative context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदीश (प्रातिपदिक; आदि + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आदेः ईशः), एकवचन, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) — ‘of the lord of the beginning/directions’ (as first member in compound)

• दिग्भागे: in the quarter/direction
• दिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिग्भाग (प्रातिपदिक; दिक् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the directional part/quarter’

• वरारोहेति: thus (as the name) ‘Varārohā’
• वरारोहेति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वरारोहा (प्रातिपदिक; वर + आरोहा) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति — उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle); ‘(called) “Varārohā”’

• या: who/which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — relative pronoun ‘who/which’

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘remembered/called’

• अमा: Amā
• अमा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — name/term ‘Amā’

• कला: a lunar digit/portion
• कला: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘digit/portion (of the moon)’

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — demonstrative ‘she/that’

• सोमस्य: of Soma (the Moon)
• सोमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of Soma/Moon’

• उमा: Umā
• उमा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘Umā’

• पश्चात्: later/afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb) — ‘afterwards/later’

• प्रकीर्त्तिता: is proclaimed/celebrated
• प्रकीर्त्तिता: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘proclaimed/celebrated (as)’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśa-dik (Somnātha quarter) within Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/recipient of the Prabhāsa mandala instructions

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A directional shrine-marker near Somnātha: Devī Varārohā stands in a dignified posture, moon-emblem (Soma-kalā) shining on her crown; she is simultaneously shown as Umā beside a subtle presence of Śiva/Someśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Somnātha/Someśa
• Varārohā
• Soma (Moon)
• Umā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine feminine is mapped onto sacred geography, revealing how place, deity, and cosmic symbolism (Soma’s kalā) interconnect in pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha (Someśa) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described through the presence of Varārohā/Umā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual act here; it provides directional and identificatory guidance for recognizing the śakti at Somnātha’s quarter.