Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 198

Devanagari script

स्वर्गं साममयेनापि भूर्भुवःस्वरितिस्थितम् । ततस्तैस्तेजसो भागैर्दशभिः पंचभिस्तथा

Transliteration

svargaṃ sāmamayenāpi bhūrbhuvaḥsvaritisthitam | tatastaistejaso bhāgairdaśabhiḥ paṃcabhistathā

Translation

സാമമയമായ അംശത്താലും ഭൂഃ, ഭുവഃ, സ്വഃ എന്ന ത്രിവിധസ്ഥാനത്തിലുള്ള സ്വർഗ്ഗലോകം സ്ഥാപിതമായി. തുടർന്ന് ആ തേജസ്സിന്റെ പത്തും അഞ്ചും ഭാഗങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു പിന്നത്തെ സൃഷ്ടി നടന്നു.

Word by Word

• svargam: heaven
• svargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• sāma-mayena: by/with that made of Sāman (Sāmaveda)
• sāma-mayena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• api: also
• api: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• bhūḥ: Bhū (earth-world)
• bhūḥ: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (as member in compound)

• bhuvaḥ: Bhuvaḥ (mid-world)
• bhuvaḥ: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (as member in compound)

• svaḥ: Svaḥ (heaven-world)
• svaḥ: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svar (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (as member in compound)

• iti: thus
• iti: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-कार (quotative marker)

• sthitam: situated/placed
• sthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + -ita (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/इत), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agreeing with svargam

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमसूचक (then/from that)

• taiḥ: by those
• taiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• tejasaḥ: of radiance/energy
• tejasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular (qualifying bhāgaiḥ)

• bhāgaiḥ: with portions
• bhāgaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• daśabhiḥ: with ten
• daśabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (agreeing with bhāgaiḥ)

• paṃcabhiḥ: with five
• paṃcabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural (agreeing with bhāgaiḥ)

• tathā: likewise, in the same way
• tathā: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in that manner/likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: the three worlds (Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ, Svaḥ) arranged in luminous tiers, emerging from measured portions of tejas; Vedic Sāma resonance implied as subtle waves of light.

Characters & Entities

• Sāmaveda (Sāman)
• Svarga
• Bhūr
• Bhuvaḥ
• Svaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa portrays the cosmos as upheld by Vedic principles—worlds and worship are interlinked through sacred sound.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the narrative setting, elevated by its association with Veda-natured cosmic energies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the mention of Sāman and the vyāhṛtis suggests the sanctity of Vedic chanting and contemplation of the three worlds.