Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स वल्मीकोऽभवत्तत्र लताभिरभिसंवृतः । कालेन महता देवि समाकीर्णः पिपीलकैः

Transliteration

sa valmīko'bhavattatra latābhirabhisaṃvṛtaḥ | kālena mahatā devi samākīrṇaḥ pipīlakaiḥ

Translation

Con el paso del tiempo, oh Diosa, allí llegó a parecer un hormiguero, cubierto de enredaderas; y tras largas edades, quedó colmado por hormigas en derredor.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वल्मीकः: an anthill
• वल्मीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• लताभिः: by creepers
• लताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अभिसंवृतः: covered all around
• अभिसंवृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-सम्-वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महता: great / long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कालेन इति विशेषणम्

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• समाकीर्णः: filled / infested
• समाकीर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-कॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पिपीलकैः: by ants
• पिपीलकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vīrasthāna (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic is now almost indistinguishable from earth—an anthill rises around him, creepers drape over, ants swarm; only a hint of human form remains within the living mound.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Cyavana
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extreme renunciation is illustrated—spiritual resolve can outlast bodily neglect and the passage of time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the arena where such extraordinary tapas is said to occur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive passage emphasizing the intensity of austerity.