Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

निश्चक्राम पुनस्तस्मात्प्रभासं क्षेत्रमागता । कन्या सैन्येन संयुक्ता बहुरूपेण भास्वता

Transliteration

niścakrāma punastasmātprabhāsaṃ kṣetramāgatā | kanyā sainyena saṃyuktā bahurūpeṇa bhāsvatā

Translation

പിന്നീട് അവൾ അവിടെ നിന്ന് വീണ്ടും പുറപ്പെട്ടു പ്രഭാസ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെത്തി; കന്യാരൂപത്തിൽ, സൈന്യസഹിതയായി, അനേകരൂപങ്ങളിൽ ദീപ്തയായി ഭാസിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• निश्चक्राम: came out, emerged
• निश्चक्राम: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस् + √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again)

• तस्मात्: from there/from that (place)
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: कर्म (Goal as object with गम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: कर्म (Apposition to Prabhāsa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आगता: having come/arrived
• आगता: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √गम् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (she having come)

• कन्या: the maiden
• कन्या: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सैन्येन: with an army
• सैन्येन: सहकारक/करण (Accompaniment/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संयुक्ता: joined, accompanied
• संयुक्ता: कर्ता (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √युज् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (joined/associated)

• बहुरूपेण: with many forms
• बहुरूपेण: करण (Instrument/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बहूनि रूपाणि यस्य/बहुरूप)

• भास्वता: shining, radiant
• भास्वता: करण (Instrument/manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; -वत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (shining)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa speaking to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the sea she re-emerges and proceeds to Prabhāsa as a radiant maiden, accompanied by a shining army; her form flickers into many aspects, as if multiple deities are superimposed in one presence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Devī (as Kanyā)
• Sainya (army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine can manifest in gentle and fearsome modes; the sacred kṣetra becomes the stage where these forms reveal protection and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra itself is explicitly named and honored as the destination of the Goddess after the victory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse strengthens the kṣetra-māhātmya by centering Prabhāsa as a divinely frequented pilgrimage field.