Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यथानुक्रमतः पूज्याः शक्तयस्ता वरानने । प्रभासक्षेत्रयात्रायाः फलप्रेप्सुर्नरो यदि

Transliteration

yathānukramataḥ pūjyāḥ śaktayastā varānane | prabhāsakṣetrayātrāyāḥ phalaprepsurnaro yadi

Translation

O fair-faced one, if a man longs to gain the fruit of pilgrimage to Prabhāsa-kṣetra, he should worship those Śaktis in their proper sequence.

Word by Word

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—सम्बन्ध/रीति (in the manner that/as)

• anukramataḥ: in sequence/according to order
• anukramataḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anukrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = ‘in order/ क्रमशः’

• pūjyāḥ: to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pūj (पूज्, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/णीयत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive/भाव्य); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• śaktayaḥ: the powers/goddesses (Śaktis)
• śaktayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tāḥ: those (feminine plural)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (varaṃ ānanaṃ yasyāḥ)

• prabhāsakṣetrayātrāyāḥ: of the pilgrimage to the Prabhāsa field
• prabhāsakṣetrayātrāyāḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासः—(prabhāsasya kṣetraṃ) इति तत्पुरुष + (kṣetrasya yātrā) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• phalaprepsuḥ: desiring the fruit (result)
• phalaprepsuḥ: Adjective of subject (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + √āp (आप्, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (सन्-प्रत्ययान्त desiderative participial adjective ‘prepsu’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (phalaṃ prepsuḥ = desiring fruit)

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Condition marker (हेतु/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (dūtī/śakti-krama)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s processional sequence through Prabhāsa: three Devī stations in order, culminating in the main kṣetra experience; the verse emphasizes ‘yathānukrama’ as a visual procession.

Characters & Entities

• Śaktis (Maṅgalā, Viśālākṣī, Catvarā-devī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bears complete fruit when performed with method and reverence—worshipping the local Śaktis in their prescribed order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, specifically its yātrā (pilgrimage) framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sequential worship (anukrama) of the named Śaktis as part of the Prabhāsa pilgrimage.