Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गोचर्ममात्रं तत्स्थानं समंतात्परिमण्डलम् । न हि कश्चिद्विजानाति विना शास्त्रेण भामिनि

Transliteration

gocarmamātraṃ tatsthānaṃ samaṃtātparimaṇḍalam | na hi kaścidvijānāti vinā śāstreṇa bhāmini

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലം ഗോചർമ്മമാത്രം; ചുറ്റും വൃത്താകാരമാണ്. ഹേ സുന്ദരിയേ, ശാസ്ത്രസഹായം കൂടാതെ ആരും അതിനെ അറിയുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• गोचर्ममात्रम्: only the size of a cowhide
• गोचर्ममात्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + चर्म + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोचर्म = 'cow-hide') + 'मात्र' (measure-only) → 'only as much as a cowhide'

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'on all sides, all around')

• परिमण्डलम्: circular; encircled
• परिमण्डलम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal nuance)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• विजानाति: knows; understands
• विजानाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वर्जनार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like: 'without')

• शास्त्रेण: by scripture; through śāstra
• शास्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भामिनि: O fair/bright lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhallukā Tīrtha (specific bindu/spot)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiny circular patch ‘cowhide-sized’ marked subtly on the ground; a learned guide points from a palm-leaf manuscript while an unknowing crowd overlooks it; Pārvatī listens.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacredness may be subtle and localized; śāstra and tradition are necessary to correctly identify and honor a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A small, circular sacred locus within Prabhāsa Kṣetra (contextually tied to the Bhallukā Tīrtha narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reliance on śāstra (authoritative tradition) for correct tīrtha-identification; no specific rite is detailed.