Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कुन्त्या प्रतिष्ठितं देवि क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके प्रिये । पाण्डवास्तु यदा पूर्वं प्रभासक्षेत्रमागताः

Transliteration

kuntyā pratiṣṭhitaṃ devi kṣetre prābhāsike priye | pāṇḍavāstu yadā pūrvaṃ prabhāsakṣetramāgatāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദേവീ, പ്രിയേ, പ്രാഭാസിക ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ കുന്തി ഈ ലിംഗം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു. പൂർവകാലത്ത് പാണ്ഡവർ പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് വന്നപ്പോൾ…

Word by Word

• कुन्त्या: by Kuntī
• कुन्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past passive participle; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• प्राभासिके: in Prabhāsa-related
• प्राभासिके: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular; adjectival)

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• पाण्डवाः: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (indeclinable particle; contrast/emphasis)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (used adverbially; temporal)

• प्रभासक्षेत्रम्: the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; genitive tatpuruṣa)

• आगताः: came/arrived
• आगताः: Kriya (Predicate/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय) परस्मैपद-प्रयोगे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Past participle used predicatively; Masculine, Nom., Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kuntīśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kuntī, dignified and austere, installs a Śiva-liṅga in Prabhāsa while the Pāṇḍavas stand nearby in travel attire; offerings, water pots, and bilva leaves surround the liṅga; the coastal sacred field stretches behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kuntī
• Pāṇḍavas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are authenticated through exemplary devotees: Kuntī and the Pāṇḍavas model tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-pratiṣṭhā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuntīśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, consecrated by Kuntī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā is referenced (established by Kuntī), though the verse itself does not command a specific rite.