Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तं पुत्रमिव योगिन्यो रक्षंति भुवि मातरः

Transliteration

taṃ putramiva yoginyo rakṣaṃti bhuvi mātaraḥ

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ യോഗിനികൾ അവനെ അമ്മമാർ സ്വന്തം പുത്രനെ കാത്തുപോലെ കാത്തുരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• putram: a son
• putram: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upama-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमार्थक-निपात (comparative particle)

• yoginyaḥ: the Yoginīs
• yoginyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoginī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• rakṣanti: protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (irregular locative form)

• mātaraḥ: the Mothers
• mātaraḥ: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Not explicit in this verse (context: Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience / Mahādevī in surrounding dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands within the sacred precinct while a circle of Yoginīs—benevolent, radiant, and maternal—watch over him like mothers, forming an unseen protective mandala around the pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Mātṛs (mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places and divine powers safeguard sincere devotees with intimate, maternal care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), though this verse itself names no single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it emphasizes divine protection (rakṣā) rather than a specific rite.