Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

अथ कालान्तरेऽतीते भूतमातुः शरीरतः । जाताः प्रस्वेदबिन्दुभ्यः पिशाचाः पञ्चकोटयः

Transliteration

atha kālāntare'tīte bhūtamātuḥ śarīrataḥ | jātāḥ prasvedabindubhyaḥ piśācāḥ pañcakoṭayaḥ

Translation

Puis, après qu’un certain temps se fut écoulé, du corps de Bhūtamātṛ naquirent—de gouttes de sueur—cinq koṭis de piśācas.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; discourse particle

• कालान्तरे: after some time/at a later time
• कालान्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालान्तर (प्रातिपदिक; काल + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (time)

• अतीते: having passed
• अतीते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतीत (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) + क्त, अति-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular agreeing with कालान्तरे

• भूतमातुः: of Bhūtamātā
• भूतमातुः: Sambandha (Source possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतमातृ (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + मातृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• शरीरतः: from (her) body
• शरीरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• जाताः: were born/arose
• जाताः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively

• प्रस्वेदबिन्दुभ्यः: from drops of sweat
• प्रस्वेदबिन्दुभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रस्वेदबिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक; प्रस्वेद + बिन्दु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Ablative plural

• पिशाचाः: piśācas/ghouls
• पिशाचाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• पञ्चकोटयः: five crores (in number)
• पञ्चकोटयः: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चकोटि (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (numerical compound)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Bhūtamātṛ-kathā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From Bhūtamātṛ’s body, sweat-drops transform into innumerable piśācas—an uncanny, mythic birth scene emphasizing the goddess’ terrifying generative power and the need for protective rites.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtamātṛ
• Piśācas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma frames even terrifying beings within a cosmic genealogy, implying they too fall under divine order and ritual governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where this origin narrative is embedded in the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it provides mythic background explaining the presence and power of piśāca hosts connected to Bhūtamātṛ.