Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कलौ चार्कस्थलोनाम त्रिषु लोकेषु कीर्तितः । अवतीर्णमिदं देवि स्वयमेव प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

kalau cārkasthalonāma triṣu lokeṣu kīrtitaḥ | avatīrṇamidaṃ devi svayameva pratiṣṭhitam

Translation

കലിയുഗത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ‘അർക്കസ്ഥലം’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ ത്രിലോകങ്ങളിലും കീർത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ദേവീ! ഈ പ്രത്യക്ഷത സ്വയം അവതരിച്ച് സ്വന്തം ശക്തിയാൽ തന്നെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമായി.

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘कलियुगे’ (locative of time)

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

• अर्कस्थल: (the name) ‘Arkasthala’
• अर्कस्थल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नामरूपेण); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्कस्य स्थलम्)

• नाम: as (his) name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नाम’ (as name/nominal marker)

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• कीर्तितः: is proclaimed
• कीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is proclaimed’

• अवतीर्णम्: has descended/manifested
• अवतीर्णम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘has descended/manifested’

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is established’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Sūrya-sthala descends and ‘locks’ into the earth by its own power: a self-founded shrine-platform blazing with solar rays, while the three worlds (devas, humans, nāgas) acclaim ‘Arkasthala’.

Characters & Entities

• Arkasthala
• Kali-yuga
• three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A svayaṃ-pratiṣṭhita (self-established) deity-site indicates direct divine presence, strengthening faith in tīrtha power in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala, presented within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; it asserts the site’s fame and self-established sanctity.