Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तत्र चार्कप्रतीकाशं गर्भमुत्सृज्य सा तदा । प्राप्ता तपोवनं रम्यं यत्रासौ मुनिपुंगवः

Transliteration

tatra cārkapratīkāśaṃ garbhamutsṛjya sā tadā | prāptā tapovanaṃ ramyaṃ yatrāsau munipuṃgavaḥ

Translation

Là, elle laissa l’enfant, rayonnant comme le soleil; puis elle atteignit la belle forêt des austérités où demeurait ce plus éminent des sages.

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• अर्क-प्रतीकाशम्: sun-like in appearance
• अर्क-प्रतीकाशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (अर्कवत् प्रतीकाशः) विशेषण (qualifying 'garbham')

• गर्भम्: the fetus/embryo
• गर्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): 'having cast out/abandoned'

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'then')

• प्राप्ता: reached
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (agreeing with 'सा')

• तपोवनम्: the forest of austerities (hermitage-grove)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः वनम्)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'tapovanam')

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुनि-पुंगवः: the foremost of sages
• मुनि-पुंगवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां पुंगवः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (tapovana within)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (probable frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant infant, glowing like the sun, is left in a secluded spot; the mother figure moves onward into a tranquil tapovana with deer, sages, and sacrificial smoke rising under ancient trees.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci (implied as the foremost sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapovana and āśrama settings symbolize dharma, restraint, and spiritual power; the narrative uses sacred geography to frame destiny and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s tapovana/āśrama landscape associated with great sages such as Dadhīci.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse highlights the sanctity of a tapovana as a locus of tapas.