Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

पाषाणाः कुञ्जराकाराश्चान्ये सैरिभसन्निभाः । चणकाकृतयश्चान्ये अन्ये गोक्षुरकप्रभाः

Transliteration

pāṣāṇāḥ kuñjarākārāścānye sairibhasannibhāḥ | caṇakākṛtayaścānye anye gokṣurakaprabhāḥ

Translation

On y voit des pierres en forme d’éléphant; d’autres ressemblent au puissant buffle. Certaines ont l’aspect du pois chiche, et d’autres brillent comme le fruit épineux du gokṣura : telles sont les merveilles de ce lieu sacré.

Word by Word

• पाषाणाः: stones
• पाषाणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• कुञ्जराकाराः: elephant-shaped
• कुञ्जराकाराः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (कुञ्जरस्य आकारः)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘पाषाणाः’ इत्यस्य अनुवृत्तिः (others [stones])

• सैरिभसन्निभाः: resembling buffaloes
• सैरिभसन्निभाः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सैरिभ (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सैरिभस्य सन्निभाः = like a buffalo)

• चणकाकृतयः: having the shape of chickpeas
• चणकाकृतयः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चणक (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (चणकस्य आकृतिः)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; ‘पाषाणाः’ इत्यस्य अनुवृत्तिः

• अन्ये: still others
• अन्ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; पुनरुक्त्या भेदसूचनम् (yet other ones)

• गोक्षुरकप्रभाः: having the look of gokṣuraka (a thorny fruit)
• गोक्षुरकप्रभाः: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोक्षुरक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (गोक्षुरकस्य प्रभा/प्रभाः = having the appearance of gokṣuraka)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (stone-lakṣaṇa zone)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rocky expanse where boulders resemble elephants and buffalo; smaller stones look like chickpeas; some gleam like the spiky gokṣura fruit—an uncanny natural gallery in a sacred tract.

Characters & Entities

• Vastrāpatha
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is reflected even in its landscape—nature itself becomes a sign of sacred presence and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpatha sacred region within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa is being described through its extraordinary terrain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it is a descriptive verse establishing the site’s marvels as part of its māhātmya.