Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

महाकालं मध्यमं च केदारं भैरवं तथा । पवित्राष्टकमेतद्धि जलसंस्थं वरानने

Transliteration

mahākālaṃ madhyamaṃ ca kedāraṃ bhairavaṃ tathā | pavitrāṣṭakametaddhi jalasaṃsthaṃ varānane

Translation

മഹാകാലം, മധ്യമം, കേദാരം, ഭൈരവം—ഇതുതന്നെ ജലത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതമായ ‘പവിത്രാഷ്ടകം’, ഹേ വരാനനേ.

Word by Word

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla (name of a sacred form/place)
• महाकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—महान् कालः इति कर्मधारय

• मध्यमम्: Madhyama (name)
• मध्यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• केदारम्: Kedāra (name)
• केदारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भैरवम्: Bhairava (name)
• भैरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise’)

• पवित्राष्टकम्: the set of eight ‘pavitra’ (holy) [places]
• पवित्राष्टकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अष्टौ पवित्राणि इति द्विगु

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshya (Referent/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (contextually: ‘this’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• जलसंस्थम्: situated in water
• जलसंस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + संस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—जले संस्थम् इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (of etat/pavitrāṣṭakam)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th), एकवचन; समासः—वरा आनना यस्याः इति कर्मधारय; संबोधन (vocative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing a feminine interlocutor via 'varānane')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pavitrāṣṭaka (jala-saṃstha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed as 'O fair-faced one')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred water expanse with four (as named here) liṅga-presences rising from or reflected in the water—Mahākāla, Madhyama, Kedāra, Bhairava—forming part of an eightfold purificatory set; pilgrims bathe and offer bilva and lamps at the water’s edge.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Madhyama
• Kedāra
• Bhairava
• Pavitrāṣṭaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A specific octad of purifying sacred presences is said to abide in the watery tīrthas, emphasizing cleansing and sanctification through the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The water-established Pavitrāṣṭaka, naming Mahākāla, Madhyama, Kedāra, and Bhairava as part of the set.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, water-based tīrtha practice (snāna/bathing) is suggested by 'jala-saṃstha', though no detailed procedure is given.