Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

एतत्स्थानं महादेवि सदा प्रियतरं मम । वसामि तत्र देवेशि प्रलयेऽपि न संत्यजे

Transliteration

etatsthānaṃ mahādevi sadā priyataraṃ mama | vasāmi tatra deveśi pralaye'pi na saṃtyaje

Translation

おおマハーデーヴィよ、この地は常にわたしにとってことさらに愛しき所である。おお神々の女王よ、わたしはそこに住し、宇宙の滅尽（プララヤ）の時にさえ捨て去らぬ。

Word by Word

• एतत्-स्थानम्: this place
• एतत्-स्थानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—एतत् स्थानम् इति कर्मधारयः

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—महा + देवी इति कर्मधारयः

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• प्रियतरम्: more dear
• प्रियतरम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• मम: to me / of me
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वसामि: I dwell
• वसामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• देवेशि: O mistress of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानाम् ईशी इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• प्रलये: in the dissolution (cosmic end)
• प्रलये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• संत्यजे: I abandon
• संत्यजे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sudarśana-kṣetra within)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity addresses Mahādevī, declaring the kṣetra eternally dear and never abandoned even at pralaya; the sacred landscape glows as timeless refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Pralaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes supremely authoritative when the deity’s abiding presence is affirmed—making the place a stable refuge across cosmic change.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ratneśvara’s sacred place in Prabhāsa Kṣetra (the ‘etat-sthāna’ being praised).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the site’s exceptional sanctity by declaring Śiva’s perpetual indwelling.