Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधं तीर्थं स्वच्छ न्दैर्निर्म्मितं तथा । स्वयंभूतं प्रभासाद्यं निर्मितं दैवतैः कृतम्

Transliteration

loke'smindvividhaṃ tīrthaṃ svaccha ndairnirmmitaṃ tathā | svayaṃbhūtaṃ prabhāsādyaṃ nirmitaṃ daivataiḥ kṛtam

Translation

ഈ ലോകത്തിൽ തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ രണ്ടുവിധം—മനുഷ്യരുടെ സ്വേച്ഛാപ്രയത്‌നത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതമായവയും, സ്വയംഭൂതമായി സ്വയം പ്രത്യക്ഷമായവയും. അവയിൽ പ്രഭാസം മുതലായവ ശ്രേഷ്ഠം; ദേവന്മാർ സ്ഥാപിച്ച തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും ഇതിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• द्विविधम्: of two kinds
• द्विविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (द्वौ विधौ यस्य तत्)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्वच्छन्दैः: by (the) self-willed/independent ones
• स्वच्छन्दैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वच्छन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• निर्मितम्: made/constructed
• निर्मितम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा (धातु) क्त, उपसर्गः निर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्वयम्-भूतम्: self-manifested
• स्वयम्-भूतम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + भूत (कृदन्त; √भू (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (स्वयमेव भूतम्)

• प्रभास-आद्यम्: beginning with Prabhāsa
• प्रभास-आद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (प्रभासः आदिः यस्य/प्रभासादि)

• निर्मितम्: constructed
• निर्मितम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा (धातु) क्त, उपसर्गः निर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय

• दैवतैः: by the gods/divinities
• दैवतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• कृतम्: made
• कृतम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmographic tableau showing three categories of tīrthas: a human-built ghat, a deva-established shrine, and a self-manifest luminous tīrtha labeled Prabhāsa, radiating natural sanctity without human construction; sages point and teach pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• tīrtha
• daivata (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not all alike; self-manifest and divinely founded sites carry a distinctive sanctity, with Prabhāsa praised as foremost.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa (Prabhāsa-kṣetra), presented as a leading self-manifest tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse classifies tīrthas to frame later rules about conduct at the sacred site.