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

ಹೇ ವರವರ್ಣಿನಿ! ಭವನ ಆಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಹೊರಟುಹೋಗುತ್ತದೋ, ಅವರು ಧನ್ಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಮಧನ್ಯರು—ದೇವರಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವತೂಲ್ಯರು.

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.