Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मेघवर्णं महादिव्यं राजतं च पुनः शुभम् । कपिलं दुग्धवर्णं च कर्पूराभं सुशोभनम्

Transliteration

meghavarṇaṃ mahādivyaṃ rājataṃ ca punaḥ śubham | kapilaṃ dugdhavarṇaṃ ca karpūrābhaṃ suśobhanam

Translation

അത് ചിലപ്പോൾ മേഘവർണ്ണമായി അതിമഹാദിവ്യമായി ദൃശ്യമാകുന്നു; വീണ്ടും ചിലപ്പോൾ രജതപ്രഭയോടെ മംഗളമായി പ്രകാശിക്കുന്നു. ചിലപ്പോൾ കപിലവർണ്ണം, ചിലപ്പോൾ ദുഗ്ധവർണ്ണം, ചിലപ്പോൾ കർപ്പൂരസമ ശുഭ്രം—അത്യന്തം ശോഭനം.

Word by Word

• मेघवर्णम्: cloud-colored
• मेघवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + वर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (cloud-colored)

• महादिव्यम्: greatly divine
• महादिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक; महा + दिव्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very divine)

• राजतम्: silvery
• राजतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (silvery)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again/further)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (auspicious)

• कपिलम्: tawny; brownish
• कपिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (tawny)

• दुग्धवर्णम्: milk-colored
• दुग्धवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुग्ध-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; दुग्ध + वर्ण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (milk-colored)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• कर्पूराभम्: camphor-white; camphor-like
• कर्पूराभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्पूर-आभ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्पूर + आभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (camphor-like in appearance)

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शोभन (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (very beautiful)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘देवि’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred expanse at Prabhāsa where a divine substance/waterscape shifts colors—cloud-dark, silver-bright, tawny, milk-white, camphor-white—glimmering as pilgrims watch in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Rasa (essence/alchemical fluid)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred manifests in many ‘varṇas’ (modes/appearances), indicating inexhaustible divine power within the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra kuṇḍa and its associated rasa, described through changing auspicious appearances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive māhātmya of the tīrtha’s wondrous substance.