Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यत्र ते यादवाः क्षीणा ब्रह्मशापबलाहिना । एतत्पुरुषोत्तमं क्षेत्रं समन्ताद्धनुषां शतम्

Transliteration

yatra te yādavāḥ kṣīṇā brahmaśāpabalāhinā | etatpuruṣottamaṃ kṣetraṃ samantāddhanuṣāṃ śatam

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മശാപബലത്തിന്റെ പ്രഹരത്തിൽ അവിടെ യാദവർ ക്ഷീണിച്ചു നശിച്ചു. ഇത് പുരുഷോത്തമന്റെ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം; എല്ലാദിക്കിലും നൂറു ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അളവിൽ വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक relative adverb)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• यादवाः: the Yādavas
• यादवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• क्षीणाः: were destroyed/decayed
• क्षीणाः: Kriya (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण (प्रातिपदिक; क्षि (धातु)+क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• ब्रह्मशापबलाहिना: by the power of Brahmā’s curse
• ब्रह्मशापबलाहिना: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-शाप-बल-आहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेतुवाचक (cause/instrument)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पुरुषोत्तमम्: supreme among persons (Puruṣottama)
• पुरुषोत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of क्षेत्रम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक: पुरुष + उत्तम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Kriya-viseshana (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परितः/‘on all sides’ adverb; ablatival form used adverbially)

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Measure/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Pramana (Measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puruṣottama-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred field marked by invisible boundaries: the aftermath of Yādava destruction under the force of a curse, while the region is proclaimed ‘Puruṣottama-kṣetra’ spanning a hundred bows in every direction.

Characters & Entities

• Yādavas
• Brahmā’s curse (brahmaśāpa)
• Puruṣottama-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty clans fall under dharma’s law; the tīrtha is exalted as the sanctified stage where cosmic justice and divine presence intersect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puruṣottama-kṣetra within the Prabhāsa region, connected to the Yādavas’ final dissolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse defines the kṣetra’s identity and extent.