Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

यदा प्राभासिकं क्षेत्रे गतोऽहं चाष्टवार्षिकः । आहूतः पूर्वमिन्द्रेण भैरवस्य प्रतिष्ठिते

Transliteration

yadā prābhāsikaṃ kṣetre gato'haṃ cāṣṭavārṣikaḥ | āhūtaḥ pūrvamindreṇa bhairavasya pratiṣṭhite

Translation

Lorsque je me rendis au saint Prabhāsa-kṣetra, alors que je n’avais que huit ans—auparavant déjà, Indra m’y avait convoqué pour la consécration de Bhairava.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-सम्बन्धक (relative temporal adverb)

• प्राभासिकम्: of Prabhāsa
• प्राभासिकम्: Adhikarana-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying क्षेत्रे/क्षेत्रम् implied)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतः: gone, having gone
• गतः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), विशेषण (qualifying अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• अष्टवार्षिकः: eight years old
• अष्टवार्षिकः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अहम्)

• आहूतः: called, summoned
• आहूतः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, कर्मणि (passive sense), विशेषण (qualifying अहम्)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भैरवस्य: of Bhairava
• भैरवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठिते: at the installation (when installed)
• प्रतिष्ठिते: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + प्रति, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (सप्तमी) ‘प्रतिष्ठिते (समये/अवसरे)’

Speaker

Soma (Candra), addressing Niśānātha (Śiva) within the Prabhāsa-māhātmya narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nishānātha (as addressed in surrounding verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An eight-year-old divine figure arriving at Prabhāsa, welcomed by Indra and devas for Bhairava’s consecration; ritual pavilion, kalasha, and abhiṣeka vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Indra
• Bhairava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is presented as a divinely frequented tīrtha where even the gods arrange consecrations, highlighting the sanctity of place-based worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha), the famed sacred region on the western coast revered in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A consecration/installation (pratiṣṭhā) of Bhairava is referenced, implying formal temple-ritual establishment rather than a personal vow.