Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

येषां भवालये प्राणा गता वै वरवर्णिनि । धन्यानामपि धन्यास्ते देवानामपि देवताः

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ bhavālaye prāṇā gatā vai varavarṇini | dhanyānāmapi dhanyāste devānāmapi devatāḥ

Translation

Wahai yang berparas elok, mereka yang hembusan hidupnya berakhir di kediaman Bhava adalah yang paling diberkahi di antara yang diberkahi—bahkan laksana keilahian di antara para dewa.

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• भवालये: in the abode of Bhava
• भवालये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भवस्य आलयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्राणाः: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गताः: have gone (departed)
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + वर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—वरा वर्णिनी (कर्मधारय)

• धन्यानाम्: of the blessed
• धन्यानाम्: Sambandha (Among/of the blessed/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• धन्याः: blessed
• धन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (predicative)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Among/of the gods/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (also/even)

• देवताः: divinities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a female interlocutor: varavarṇinī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Bhava-gṛha/ālaya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (a addressed ‘fair one’; likely Pārvatī/Devī in Śiva–Devī dialogue frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Śaiva shrine in Vastrāpatha; a devotee’s last breath offered at Bhava’s abode, with subtle divine attendants and a luminous liṅga radiating grace.

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Śiva)
• Bhavālaya (Śiva’s abode/temple)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Departure of prāṇa in a supremely sacred Śaiva space is exalted as an extraordinary culmination of dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhavālaya within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra—the abode/temple of Bhava (Śiva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the emphasis is on being in Bhava’s abode at life’s end (anta-kāla) as a supreme blessing.