Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

एक एव श्रुतोऽस्माभिः प्रभासस्तीर्थवासितः । प्रभासाः पंच देवेश यत्त्वया परिकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

eka eva śruto'smābhiḥ prabhāsastīrthavāsitaḥ | prabhāsāḥ paṃca deveśa yattvayā parikīrtitāḥ

Translation

Sólo hemos oído hablar de un único Prabhāsa, célebre como tīrtha. Sin embargo, oh Señor de los dioses, tú has proclamado cinco “Prabhāsas”.

Word by Word

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्रभासः’)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• श्रुतः: heard/known
• श्रुतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been heard/known’

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रभासः: Prabhāsa (tīrtha)
• प्रभासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तीर्थवासितः: dwelling at the sacred ford
• तीर्थवासितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वासित (कृदन्त, क्त; √वस्/वास्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे वासितः = dwelling/abiding at a tīrtha)

• प्रभासाः: Prabhāsa-s (as multiple)
• प्रभासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; बहुवचनार्थे; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्रभासाः’)

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative) — ‘which (five)’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तिताः: described/mentioned
• परिकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘have been described’

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (and ‘Prabhāsāḥ pañca’)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva, addressed as Deveśa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī gestures toward a single luminous Prabhāsa on the horizon while five smaller lights appear around it, symbolizing the proclaimed fivefold division; Śiva listens, poised to narrate the origin.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsa
• Deveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha traditions often contain layered geographies—one famed name may encompass multiple sacred loci.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa tīrtha, with emphasis on its fivefold manifestation (Prabhāsa-pañcaka).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it clarifies the scope of the tīrtha designation and prompts explanation.