Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

तत्रैव संस्थितं पश्येद्भूधरंनाम नामतः । उद्धृत्य पृथिवीं यस्माद्दंष्ट्राग्रेण दधार सः

Transliteration

tatraiva saṃsthitaṃ paśyedbhūdharaṃnāma nāmataḥ | uddhṛtya pṛthivīṃ yasmāddaṃṣṭrāgreṇa dadhāra saḥ

Translation

Là même, l’on doit contempler la sainte présence nommée Bhūdhara ; car c’est lui qui, ayant soulevé la Terre, la porta sur la pointe de sa défense.

Word by Word

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• संस्थितम्: standing/placed
• संस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘standing/placed’

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूधरम्: Bhūdhara (the earth-bearer/mountain)
• भूधरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (भूṃ धरति इति)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (‘named’)

• नामतः: by name
• नामतः: Sambandha (Specification/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘by name/as to name’

• उद्धृत्य: having lifted
• उद्धृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = ‘having lifted up’

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• यस्मात्: because/from whom
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• दंष्ट्रा-अग्रेण: with the tip of (his) tusk
• दंष्ट्रा-अग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दंष्ट्रायाः अग्रेण)

• दधार: held/bore
• दधार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūdhara (Vārāha-smṛti-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi assembly / tīrtha-inquirer (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred spot where the pilgrim ‘beholds’ Bhūdhara: Vārāha stands colossal, Earth-goddess (Bhū-devī) poised on his tusk-tip; waves of the cosmic ocean recede as land emerges.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūdhara
• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Varāha (implied by tusk-lifting motif)
• Devikā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is sanctified by remembrance of divine cosmic protection—here, the Earth’s rescue associated with Varāha/Bhūdhara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bhūdhara presence/site located in the Devikā-taṭa area within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The instruction is darśana: “one should behold/visit” the Bhūdhara site.