Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यदाद्य भागजं तेजस्तत्प्रभासेऽपतत्प्रिये । पतितं तत्र तत्तेजः स्थलाकारं व्यजायत

Transliteration

yadādya bhāgajaṃ tejastatprabhāse'patatpriye | patitaṃ tatra tattejaḥ sthalākāraṃ vyajāyata

Translation

പ്രിയേ! തേജസ്സിന്റെ ആദ്യം വിഭജിക്കപ്പെട്ട അംശം പ്രഭാസത്തിൽ പതിച്ചു. അവിടെ പതിച്ച ആ തേജസ്സുതന്നെ പുണ്യസ്ഥലാകാരമായി പ്രകടമായി.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• आद्य: first; primordial
• आद्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तेजः)

• भागजम्: born from a portion/share
• भागजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तेजः); तत्पुरुषः (भागात् जातम्)

• तेजः: splendour; energy
• तेजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (प्रभासे इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपतत्: fell
• अपतत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; (देवि-सम्बोधनार्थ)

• पतितम्: fallen
• पतितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तेजः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; (तेजः इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण)

• तेजः: splendour
• तेजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्थलाकारम्: the form of a place/ground-formation
• स्थलाकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्थलस्य आकारः)

• व्यजायत: came into being; arose
• व्यजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as 'priye')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stream of primordial radiance is severed from a cosmic source and descends like a golden-white meteor onto the shore of Prabhāsa; upon touching earth it crystallizes into a luminous sacred ground marked by auspicious signs and a nascent shrine-outline.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Tejas (radiance)
• Arkasthala (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely a location but condensed divinity: divine tejas can crystallize into sacred geography that grants spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa—specifically the emergence of a Sun-associated holy ground-form (later identified with Arkasthala in the chapter’s framing).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; it establishes the sanctity-origin that supports later worship and pilgrimage merit.