Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

देवि किं बहुनोक्तेन वर्णितेन पुनः पुनः । प्रभासक्षेत्रसारं तु मार्कण्डेयाश्रमं प्रति

Transliteration

devi kiṃ bahunoktena varṇitena punaḥ punaḥ | prabhāsakṣetrasāraṃ tu mārkaṇḍeyāśramaṃ prati

Translation

Ô Devī, à quoi bon tant de paroles, décrites encore et encore ? L’essence même de Prabhāsa-kṣetra se trouve en direction de l’āśrama de Mārkaṇḍeya.

Word by Word

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular feminine

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter (interrogative)

• बहु: much; many
• बहु: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter (used adverbially: 'by much/many words')

• उक्तेन: by saying; by what has been said
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter; past passive participle used substantively ('by what is said')

• वर्णितेन: by describing; by what is described
• वर्णितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णित (कृदन्त; √वर्ण्/√वर्णय् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter; past passive participle used substantively ('by what has been described')

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb (repetition for emphasis)

• प्रभासक्षेत्रसारम्: the essence of the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास-क्षेत्र-सार (प्रातिपदिक; प्रभास + क्षेत्र + सार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष: 'प्रभासक्षेत्रस्य सारः'

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — Indeclinable particle (contrast/emphasis)

• मार्कण्डेयाश्रमम्: Mārkaṇḍeya’s hermitage
• मार्कण्डेयाश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक; मार्कण्डेय + आश्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular masculine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'मार्कण्डेयस्य आश्रमः'

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana/Direction (देश/दिशा-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय, उपपद-प्रयोगः (द्वितीयासह) — Indeclinable preposition governing accusative; direction/towards

Speaker

Deductive: Narratorial voice addressing Devī (listener implied; immediately before the colophon and next chapter where Īśvara speaks)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeya-āśrama / Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī is addressed as the speaker concludes: a path leading through coastal groves toward a tranquil hermitage of Mārkaṇḍeya; a liṅga shrine (Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara) stands near a sacred water source; pilgrims approach quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mārkaṇḍeyāśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among many praises, the Purāṇa points to a spiritual center: seek the ‘sāra’ (essence) through direct approach to the sanctified āśrama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mārkaṇḍeya’s āśrama within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as the core locus of sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied pilgrimage instruction: go toward/visit Mārkaṇḍeyāśrama as the kṣetra’s essence.