Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

के मन्त्राः किं विधानं तद्बाह्मणास्तत्र कीदृशाः । तत्र स्थितानां विप्राणां कथं क्षेत्रफलं भवेत्

Transliteration

ke mantrāḥ kiṃ vidhānaṃ tadbāhmaṇāstatra kīdṛśāḥ | tatra sthitānāṃ viprāṇāṃ kathaṃ kṣetraphalaṃ bhavet

Translation

ഏത് മന്ത്രങ്ങൾ ജപിക്കണം, എന്താണ് വിധി? അവിടെയുള്ള ബ്രാഹ്മണർ എങ്ങനെയുള്ളവർ? അവിടെ വസിക്കുന്ന വിപ്രന്മാർക്ക് ആ ക്ഷേത്രഫലം എങ്ങനെ ലഭിക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• के: which? what kind of?
• के: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; ‘मन्त्राः’ इति विशेषण (interrogative)

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; ‘विधानम्’ इति विशेषण (interrogative)

• विधानम्: procedure
• विधानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्: those
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इति विशेषण (correlative: 'those')

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कीदृशाः: of what kind?
• कीदृशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणाः’ इति विशेषण (interrogative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्थितानाम्: of those staying/residing
• स्थितानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; ‘विप्राणाम्’ इति विशेषण

• विप्राणाम्: of the Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण

• क्षेत्रफलम्: the fruit/result of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be, may occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee asks about mantras, ritual procedure, and the nature of brāhmaṇas dwelling in Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the sea-bounded sacred field is implied as the backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Mantra
• Pūjā-vidhi
• Brāhmaṇas
• Vipras
• Kṣetra-phala
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have defined disciplines—mantra, procedure, and conduct—through which merit is properly realized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, discussed as a place where mantra, ritual order, and kṣetra-merit are especially significant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about mantras and vidhāna (procedure) and about how kṣetra-phala is obtained, but does not provide the prescriptions yet.