Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु ऋषयो वेदपारगाः । चत्वारश्च महादेवि प्रभासं क्षेत्रमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

etasminneva kāle tu ṛṣayo vedapāragāḥ | catvāraśca mahādevi prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāśritāḥ

Translation

En ce même temps, ô grande déesse, quatre ṛṣi, maîtres des Veda, prirent refuge dans le kṣetra sacré de Prabhāsa.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive/contrast particle)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वेदपारगाः: versed in the Vedas
• वेदपारगाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ऋषयः)

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge/resorted to
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having resorted’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘mahādevī’ (female interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four venerable sages with matted hair and bark garments arrive at Prabhāsa’s sacred field, carrying waterpots and staffs; the coastal temple silhouette and tīrtha markers appear in the background as they settle into an āśrama-like space.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is confirmed by the presence of realized sages; holy places draw Vedic wisdom and support tapas and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, presented as a refuge and spiritual seat for Veda-masters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse sets the scene for tapas and tīrtha-related observances by sages.