Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स्थानं सपाटिकानाम तस्यदक्षिणतः स्थितम् । गव्यूतिमात्रं देवेशि बालार्क इति विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

sthānaṃ sapāṭikānāma tasyadakṣiṇataḥ sthitam | gavyūtimātraṃ deveśi bālārka iti viśrutam

Translation

‘സപാടികാ’ എന്നൊരു സ്ഥലം ഉണ്ട്; അതിന്റെ തെക്കോട്ട്, ഹേ ദേവേശീ, ഒരു ഗവ്യൂതി ദൂരത്തിൽ ‘ബാലാർക’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ സ്ഥലം നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्थानम्: place; site
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• सपाटिकानाम्: of the (people) with tablets/plaques
• सपाटिकानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-पाटिका (प्रातिपदिक; पाटिका-शब्द)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सहिताः पाटिकाः येषां ते)

• तस्य: of it/that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• दक्षिणतः: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated; located
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: only a gavyūti in extent
• गव्यूतिमात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गव्यूति + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गव्यूतिः एव मात्रम्)

• देवेशि: O goddess (lady of gods)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• बालार्कः: Bālārka (the young Sun)
• बालार्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (बालः अर्कः)

• इति: thus; called
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-निपात

• विश्रुतम्: well-known; renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bālārka (near Sapāṭikā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Deveśī/Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim’s-eye view: a sign-like depiction of Sapāṭikā, then a southern path to a Surya emblem shrine called Bālārka; the landscape suggests coastal Gujarat with sacred markers.

Characters & Entities

• Sapāṭikā
• Bālārka
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The māhātmya sanctifies geography: even directions and distances become part of devotional remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bālārka, located south of the place called Sapāṭikā within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit beyond guidance for reaching the tīrtha.