Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । तत्रैव संस्थितं पश्येद्बलभद्रकलेवरम् । शेषरूपेण यत्रासौ प्रात्यजत्स्वकलेवरम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tatraiva saṃsthitaṃ paśyedbalabhadrakalevaram | śeṣarūpeṇa yatrāsau prātyajatsvakalevaram

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു: അവിടെയേ സ്ഥിതമായിരിക്കുന്ന ബലഭദ്രന്റെ കലെവരം ദർശിക്കണം—അവിടെ അദ്ദേഹം ശേഷരൂപം ധരിച്ചു സ്വന്തം ദേഹം ത്യജിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• संस्थितम्: standing/placed
• संस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बलभद्रकलेवरम्: the body of Balabhadra
• बलभद्रकलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of Balabhadra'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शेषरूपेण: in the form of Śeṣa
• शेषरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (as 'Śeṣa-form'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: 'where')

• असौ: he (that one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• प्रात्यजत्: abandoned/left
• प्रात्यजत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वकलेवरम्: his own body
• स्वकलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (self-body), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Balabhadra-kalevara-sthāna (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Mahādevī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara instructs Devī: pilgrims stand before a marked shrine/spot—Balabhadra’s kalevara-sthāna—while a visionary overlay shows Balabhadra transforming into Śeṣa (serpent with many hoods) and withdrawing into the cosmic depths; the scene balances reverence and wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Balabhadra
• Śeṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places preserve divine memory; darśana of such loci is urged as a means to awaken devotion and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A site within Prabhāsakṣetra associated with Balabhadra’s ‘kalevara’ and his Śeṣa-form is being indicated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—‘one should behold’ (paśyet) the established sacred presence linked to Balabhadra.