Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

शृणु तत्राभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महीपते । दक्षिणस्या मुनिवराः कोटिसंख्याप्रमाणतः

Transliteration

śṛṇu tatrābhavatpūrvaṃ yadāścaryaṃ mahīpate | dakṣiṇasyā munivarāḥ koṭisaṃkhyāpramāṇataḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹീപതേ! കേൾക്കുക—അവിടെ പൂർവകാലത്ത് സംഭവിച്ച അത്ഭുതം. ദക്ഷിണദിക്കിൽ നിന്ന് കോടിസംഖ്യയിൽ മുനിവരന്മാർ അവിടെ സമാഗമിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अभवत्: there was/occurred
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धि-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत् इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• महीपते: O king (lord of the earth)
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षिणस्याः: of the southern (direction)
• दक्षिणस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; दिशः (south)

• मुनिवराः: excellent sages
• मुनिवराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कोटिसंख्याप्रमाणतः: in number amounting to crores
• कोटिसंख्याप्रमाणतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि + संख्या + प्रमाण + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial), परिमाणवाचक (by measure/number)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (kṣetra context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya begins recounting an ancient marvel: countless southern sages arriving and assembling at Arbuda.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Sages (Munis)
• South (Dakṣiṇā diś)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is often revealed through ancient marvels and the collective presence of realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative context is the Koṭīśvara area introduced in Adhyāya 11.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it introduces the legendary background (pūrva-vṛtta).