Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

खेचरत्वं पुरा देवि ह्यासीदग्रभुवां महत् । तेन यांति द्रुतं सर्वे यत्र यत्र सुरालयाः

Transliteration

khecaratvaṃ purā devi hyāsīdagrabhuvāṃ mahat | tena yāṃti drutaṃ sarve yatra yatra surālayāḥ

Translation

Wahai Dewi, pada zaman purba para makhluk utama memiliki kesaktian besar untuk melayang di angkasa; dengan daya itu mereka dapat segera pergi ke mana pun terdapat kediaman para dewa.

Word by Word

• खेचरत्वम्: the ability to move in the sky
• खेचरत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचर + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter Nom/Acc singular; तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः: 'khecara-ness' (state of moving in the sky)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = indeclinable adverb 'formerly'

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन = Feminine, Vocative singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/हेतु) = particle 'indeed/for'

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = Imperfect/Past, 3rd person singular; 'was'

• अग्रभुवाम्: of the foremost beings
• अग्रभुवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रभुव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन = Masculine, Genitive plural; तत्पुरुषः: अग्रे भुवः/अग्रे भवति इति (foremost beings)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter Nom/Acc singular; विशेषणम् (खेचरत्वस्य)

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन = Instrumental singular; 'by that/therefore'

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन = Present, 3rd person plural; 'go'

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण) = indeclinable adverb 'quickly'

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक) = relative adverb 'where'

• यत्र: wherever
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति) = indeclinable 'wherever' (repetition for emphasis)

• सुरालयाः: abodes of the gods
• सुरालयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी): सुराणाम् आलयाः

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Primeval beings endowed with sky-travel move swiftly between shining celestial abodes, with the western ocean and Prabhāsa’s liminal horizon suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Foremost beings (agra-bhuvaḥ)
• Sura-ālaya (abodes of gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine capacities are portrayed as vast, yet they remain within the moral universe of dharma and consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Prabhāsa narrative frames these divine movements, linking cosmic travel back to events at the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse explains a narrative mechanism (divine sky-travel).