Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एषु सन्निहितो नित्यं प्रयागस्तीर्थनायकः । अत्रागत्य नरो यस्तु माघमासे वरानने

Transliteration

eṣu sannihito nityaṃ prayāgastīrthanāyakaḥ | atrāgatya naro yastu māghamāse varānane

Translation

En ces tīrtha, Prayāga—seigneur des lieux de pèlerinage—demeure à jamais. Quiconque vient ici au mois de Māgha, ô toi au visage gracieux, …

Word by Word

• एषु: in these (places)
• एषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सन्निहितः: present
• सन्निहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु) → सन्निहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• प्रयागः: Prayāga
• प्रयागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तीर्थनायकः: leader of sacred fords
• तीर्थनायकः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थानां नायकः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माघस्य मासः)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (with Prayāga-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A beloved/fair-faced listener (likely a queen/consort figure within the dialogue frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred coastal kṣetra at Prabhāsa with a luminous, personified Prayāga-tīrtha presiding invisibly; pilgrims arriving in Māgha with waterpots and offerings, dawn light over the sea/river-mouth, temple silhouettes in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrthanāyaka
• Māgha-māsa
• Prabhāsa tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tīrthas can be mystically present within other sacred sites; timing (Māgha) amplifies pilgrimage fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa tīrthas/kuṇḍas are glorified as hosting the perennial presence of Prayāga, the ‘tīrtha-lord’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Coming/undertaking pilgrimage in Māgha-māsa is highlighted; the verse is incomplete here and likely continues with promised results.