Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

चंद्रबिंबार्द्धभेदानि चतुरस्रप्रभेदतः । ब्रह्मादिदैवतानीशे क्षेत्रमध्ये स्थितानि तु

Transliteration

caṃdrabiṃbārddhabhedāni caturasraprabhedataḥ | brahmādidaivatānīśe kṣetramadhye sthitāni tu

Translation

Sebagian dibedakan menurut bentuk cakram bulan separuh, dan sebagian lagi menurut ragam bentuk segi empat. Wahai Īśe, para dewa yang bermula dari Brahmā sungguh bersemayam di tengah-tengah kṣetra suci ini.

Word by Word

• चन्द्र-बिम्ब-अर्द्ध-भेदानि: half-moon-disc divisions
• चन्द्र-बिम्ब-अर्द्ध-भेदानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + bimba (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (चन्द्रबिम्बस्य अर्द्धस्य भेदाः)

• चतुरस्र-प्रभेदतः: by the varieties of squares / in square-variants
• चतुरस्र-प्रभेदतः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: caturasra (प्रातिपदिक) + prabheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; प्रभेदतः = तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) 'प्रभेदात्/प्रकारतः'; 'चतुरस्रस्य प्रभेदतः'

• ब्रह्म-आदि-दैवतानि: deities beginning with Brahmā
• ब्रह्म-आदि-दैवतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + daivata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मादीनि दैवतानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ईशे: O Lord
• ईशे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्र-मध्ये: in the middle of the field
• क्षेत्र-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (क्षेत्रस्य मध्ये); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• स्थितानि: situated/placed
• स्थितानि: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दैवतानि)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

Speaker

Śiva (continuing the description to Devī; vocative 'īśe' retained as in text)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (collective tīrtha-field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśe (vocative in verse; addressed as ‘O Lord’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field rendered as a geometric mandala: half-moon-disc motifs and quadrangular shrines/altars, with Brahmā and other deities seated within the kṣetra’s center, radiating sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Daivatāni (deities)
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred kṣetra is envisioned as inhabited and protected by multiple divine powers, making the entire geography a living mandala of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, especially its central zone where many deities are said to be established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it emphasizes the presence of deities and the structured sacred layout, encouraging reverence during pilgrimage.