Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

न भयं जायते तस्य त्रिविधं वरवर्णिनि । अर्धगव्यूतिमात्रं तु तत्र क्षेत्रं रवेः स्मृतम्

Transliteration

na bhayaṃ jāyate tasya trividhaṃ varavarṇini | ardhagavyūtimātraṃ tu tatra kṣetraṃ raveḥ smṛtam

Translation

ഹേ വരവർണിനി! അവനു ത്രിവിധഭയം ഉദിക്കുകയില്ല; അവിടെ രവി (സൂര്യൻ)യുടെ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം അർദ്ധ ഗവ്യൂതി മാത്രമെന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• jāyate: arises
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• trividham: threefold
• trividham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रयाणां विधः)

• varavarṇini: O excellent-complexioned lady
• varavarṇini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा च सा वर्णिनी)

• ardha: half
• ardha: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्; समासपूर्वपद (half)

• gavyūti: of a gavyūti (a distance measure)
• gavyūti: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gavyūti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (समासे: गव्यूतिमात्रम् = गव्यूतेः मात्रम्)

• mātram: measure/extent
• mātram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'measure/extent'

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• kṣetram: the sacred area/field
• kṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• raveḥ: of Ravi (the Sun)
• raveḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• smṛtam: is declared/remembered as
• smṛtam: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण ('is said/considered')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); internal address to a female listener (“varavarṇini”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravi-kṣetra (Sūrya-kṣetra) within Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small, radiant solar precinct marked by a half-gavyūti boundary; pilgrims stand at the threshold with folded hands as a golden Sūrya aura protects the area, dispelling threefold fear.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Gavyūti (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya links protection from fear with entering or honoring a clearly defined sacred geography (kṣetra).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravi’s (Sūrya’s) kṣetra within Prabhāsakṣetra, defined as extending half a gavyūti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse defines the kṣetra’s extent and reiterates fearlessness as a fruit of association with it.