Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 171

Devanagari script

मधुकैटभयोः पूर्वं मेदोमांसपरिप्लुता । वसुन्धारयते यस्माद्वसुधा तेन कीर्तिता

Transliteration

madhukaiṭabhayoḥ pūrvaṃ medomāṃsapariplutā | vasundhārayate yasmādvasudhā tena kīrtitā

Translation

マドゥとカイタバ（討伐）以前、彼女は脂と肉とで満ちあふれていた。彼女が「ヴァス」（宝と衆生）を担うゆえに、ヴァスダーと称えられる。

Word by Word

• मधुकैटभयोः: of Madhu and Kaiṭabha
• मधुकैटभयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + कैटभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन (dual); द्वन्द्व-समास

• पूर्वम्: formerly, before
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• मेदोमांसपरिप्लुता: flooded with fat and flesh
• मेदोमांसपरिप्लुता: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + परि-प्लु (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त) समासान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वसुधा)

• वसुन्धारयते: supports/holds treasures (etymological)
• वसुन्धारयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वसुन्धारय (नामधातु; वसुन्धरा-आधारित)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यस्मात्: because of which, from which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• वसुधा: the Earth
• वसुधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेन: therefore, by that reason
• तेन: Hetu/Reason-instrumental (हेतु-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कीर्तिता: is called, is renowned
• कीर्तिता: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implicit cleansing/restoration frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic primordial scene: dark cosmic waters, fragments of creation, the Earth emerging and being cleansed; symbolic ‘fat and flesh’ flood rendered as swirling red-brown currents; then Earth steadies, shining as Vasudhā.

Characters & Entities

• Madhu
• Kaiṭabha
• Vasudhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when creation is depicted as chaotic, the Earth becomes the bearer of order and value—hence worthy of veneration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the narrative setting; the verse itself is an etymological praise of Earth rather than a local tirtha-detail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.