Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

भूमिं विगाहते यत्र तत्र विद्यात्पराभवम् । अर्चिष्मान्पिंगलशिखः सर्पिःकांचनसप्रभः

Transliteration

bhūmiṃ vigāhate yatra tatra vidyātparābhavam | arciṣmānpiṃgalaśikhaḥ sarpiḥkāṃcanasaprabhaḥ

Translation

അഗ്നി എവിടെ ഭൂമിയിലേക്കു മുങ്ങുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നുവോ, അവിടെ പരാജയവും നഷ്ടവും എന്നു അറിയണം. എന്നാൽ ശുഭാഗ്നി ദീപ്തിമാൻ, പിംഗളശിഖയുള്ളത്, നെയ്യും സ്വർണ്ണവും പോലെ പ്രകാശമുള്ളത്।

Word by Word

• bhūmim: the ground/earth
• bhūmim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• vigāhate: enters/sinks into
• vigāhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + gāh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb): ‘where’

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (correlative adverb): ‘there’

• vidyāt: should know/understand
• vidyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• parābhavam: defeat, downfall
• parābhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parābhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• arciṣmān: flaming, radiant
• arciṣmān: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arciṣmant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• piṅgala-śikhaḥ: having tawny flames
• piṅgala-śikhaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: piṅgala (प्रातिपदिक) + śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: ‘पिङ्गला शिखा यस्य’

• sarpiḥ: ghee
• sarpiḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kāñcana-sa-prabhaḥ: golden in appearance
• kāñcana-sa-prabhaḥ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक) + sa (सह/स- ‘with/like’) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘काञ्चनसदृशी प्रभा यस्य’ (golden-lustrous)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting homa fires at Prabhāsa: one seems to collapse downward into the earth (inauspicious), while another rises radiant with tawny-golden flames like ghee and gold (auspicious).

Characters & Entities

• Agni (implied)
• Ghee (sarpiḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values discernment—recognizing auspicious and inauspicious signs before acting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where correct ritual knowledge yields spiritual and worldly welfare.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Treat a fire that ‘dives’ into the ground as inauspicious; prefer a radiant, tawny, ghee-and-gold-like flame.