Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । प्रभासपंचकं ह्येतद्यत्त्वया परिकीर्तितम् । कथमत्र समुद्भूतमेतन्मे कौतुकं महत्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | prabhāsapaṃcakaṃ hyetadyattvayā parikīrtitam | kathamatra samudbhūtametanme kautukaṃ mahat

Translation

ദേവി പറഞ്ഞു—നിങ്ങൾ വർണ്ണിച്ച ഈ ‘പ്രഭാസപഞ്ചകം’ ഇവിടെ എങ്ങനെ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു? ഇത് എനിക്ക് മഹത്തായ അത്ഭുതമായി തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्रभासपंचकम्: the set of five (called) Prabhāsa-s
• प्रभासपंचकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रभासस्य पञ्चकम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगे (2nd person pronoun), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितम्: described/mentioned
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘has been described’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• समुद्भूतम्: arisen/originated
• समुद्भूतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + भू (धातु) → समुद्भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arisen/originated’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Karma (Subject/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मे: my/to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• कौतुकम्: curiosity/wonder
• कौतुकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘कौतुकम्’)

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-pañcaka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, seated beside Śiva in a coastal hermitage/temple precinct, raises a curious question; behind them a stylized map-like vista hints at five sacred nodes around Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsa-pañcaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is not merely listed; it is to be understood through its origin narrative (utpatti) and meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-pañcaka within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces an explanatory dialogue about the sites’ origin.