Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

भकारं कटिनाभिस्थं गोकारं पार्श्वयोर्द्वयोः । देकारं जानुनोर्न्यस्य वकारं पादपद्मयोः

Transliteration

bhakāraṃ kaṭinābhisthaṃ gokāraṃ pārśvayordvayoḥ | dekāraṃ jānunornyasya vakāraṃ pādapadmayoḥ

Translation

കടി-നാഭി പ്രദേശത്ത് ‘ഭ’ അക്ഷരം ന്യാസം ചെയ്‌തിട്ട്, ഇരുപാർശ്വങ്ങളിലും ‘ഗോ’ ന്യാസിക്കണം. മുട്ടുകളിൽ ‘ദേ’ ന്യാസം ചെയ്ത്, പദ്മപാദങ്ങളിൽ ‘വ’ അക്ഷരം സ്ഥാപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• भकारम्: the letter ‘bha’
• भकारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भ’-वर्णः

• कटिनाभिस्थम्: situated at the waist/navel (region)
• कटिनाभिस्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण) of implied placement-location
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + nābhi (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: कट्यां नाभौ च स्थितम् (located at the waist/navel region)

• गोकारम्: the letter ‘go’
• गोकारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gokāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गो’-वर्णः

• पार्श्वयोः: on the two sides
• पार्श्वयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन (gen.dual; locative sense intended)

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: षष्ठी, द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्

• देकारम्: the letter ‘de’
• देकारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dekāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘दे’-वर्णः

• जानुनोः: at the two knees
• जानुनोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; ‘of the two knees’ (locative sense intended: at the knees)

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (absolutive/gerund) ‘having placed’; (here used as prior action)

• वकारम्: the letter ‘va’
• वकारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘व’-वर्णः

• पादपद्मयोः: on the two lotus-feet
• पादपद्मयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; समास: पादयोः पद्मे (lotus-feet); gen.dual with locative sense ‘at/on the two lotus-feet’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The practitioner touches waist/navel, then flanks, then knees, then both feet; each point blooms with a small lotus and a glowing syllable, suggesting the body as a moving altar.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic worship emphasizes embodied sanctity: the devotee’s limbs are consecrated as part of the act of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where proper ritual performance is presented as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nyāsa of syllables: ‘bha’ at waist/navel, ‘go’ on flanks, ‘de’ on knees, ‘va’ on the feet.