Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दशकोटिप्रभेदेन धरां व्याप्य सुसंस्थिताः । मुख्यास्तत्र चतस्रो वै महाबलपराक्रमाः

Transliteration

daśakoṭiprabhedena dharāṃ vyāpya susaṃsthitāḥ | mukhyāstatra catasro vai mahābalaparākramāḥ

Translation

Elles se répandirent sur la terre en d’innombrables divisions—dix crores dans leur diversité—et demeurent solidement établies. Parmi elles, quatre sont tenues pour principales, pleines de grande force et de vaillance héroïque.

Word by Word

• दशकोटिप्रभेदेन: by division into ten crores (many categories)
• दशकोटिप्रभेदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-कोटि-प्रभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करणत्वे

• धराम्: the earth
• धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्याप्य: having pervaded
• व्याप्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘व्याप्य’ = having pervaded

• सुसंस्थिताः: well established/positioned
• सुसंस्थिताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (स्त्रीप्रातिपदिक-सम्बन्धेन); ‘सु’ उपसर्गपूर्वक; विशेषण—(ताः)

• मुख्याः: chief
• मुख्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

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

• चतस्रः: four
• चतस्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतस् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (feminine numeral)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक अव्यय (particle)

• महाबलपराक्रमाः: of great strength and valor
• महाबलपराक्रमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-बल-पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘चतस्रः/मुख्याः’ इत्यस्य

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from direct address to Devī and ensuing boons narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within Prabhāsa-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping vision: innumerable divisions of fierce female beings spread across the earth like a hidden network, while four principal figures stand elevated, radiating strength and command.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even formidable unseen forces are portrayed as ordered within dharma and cosmic structure, under higher divine governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), whose māhātmya frames the account even when the verses describe cosmic beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up a classification narrative rather than a vrata or dāna.