Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

महापर्वणि संप्राप्ते कुर्युः पारायणं द्विजाः । सर्वे ते ब्राह्मणा देवि क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः

Transliteration

mahāparvaṇi saṃprāpte kuryuḥ pārāyaṇaṃ dvijāḥ | sarve te brāhmaṇā devi kṣetramadhyanivāsinaḥ

Translation

Quand survient la grande fête, les deux-fois-nés doivent accomplir le pārāyaṇa, la récitation intégrale. Ô Déesse, tous ces brahmanes demeurent au cœur même du kṣetra sacré.

Word by Word

• महापर्वणि: on the great festival day
• महापर्वणि: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Absolute locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √प्राप् (प्राप्तौ) (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी absolute) ‘महापर्वणि’ इत्यस्मिन् सति

• कुर्युः: should do/perform
• कुर्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (करणे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• पारायणम्: recitation/complete reading (pārāyaṇa)
• पारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः: dwelling in the middle of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रमध्यनिवासिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (mahā-parvan pārāyaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great festival day at Prabhāsa: rows of Brahmins seated within the kṣetra’s central precinct perform full recitation; lamps, banners, and pilgrims surround them, emphasizing the ‘heart of the field’ as a living sacred center.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāparvan
• Pārāyaṇa
• Dvija
• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are sustained by living traditions—recitation, ritual continuity, and community guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as having Brahmins residing at its center.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pārāyaṇa (complete recitation) when the Mahāparvan (great holy festival) arrives.