Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

जालं तस्य प्रभूतेन जीर्णकालेन यत्तदा । ध्वजा बद्धा यतो जालैः प्रासादे सा शुभेऽभवत्

Transliteration

jālaṃ tasya prabhūtena jīrṇakālena yattadā | dhvajā baddhā yato jālaiḥ prāsāde sā śubhe'bhavat

Translation

ആ വല അവിടെ ദീർഘകാലം കഴിഞ്ഞ് ജീർണ്ണമായപ്പോൾ, അതിന്റെ കണ്ണികളാൽ ധ്വജം ബന്ധിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; അതിനാൽ കൊട്ടാര-ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ ആ ധ്വജം മംഗളകരമായി.

Word by Word

• जालम्: the net/cloth
• जालम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (topic/subject)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रभूतेन: by much, by a long (amount)
• प्रभूतेन: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु; with time-span)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (abundant/long)

• जीर्ण-कालेन: by long elapsed time
• जीर्ण-कालेन: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु; time as instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘जीर्णः कालः’ (long/elapsed time)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तदा: then, at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• ध्वजा: the flag
• ध्वजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बद्धा: was bound, got tied
• बद्धा: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि (bound)

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal/relative adverb: because/wherefrom)

• जालैः: by nets/threads
• जालैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• प्रासादे: on/in the palace
• प्रासादे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सा: she/that (flag)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; refers to ध्वजा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शुभे: in the auspicious (place)
• शुभे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; locative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of प्रासादे/क्षेत्रे understood)

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged net, sun-bleached and timeworn, has become entwined around the temple flag; the flag now looks fuller and auspicious, fluttering with the net’s mesh like a sacred garland.

Characters & Entities

• dhvajā (temple flag)
• jāla (net/mesh)
• prāsāda (shrine structure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Objects unintentionally associated with the shrine can be reinterpreted as auspicious, showing the sanctifying power of sacred place and symbol.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śaiva sacred setting praised under Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, emphasizing the holiness of the shrine and its dhvaja.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse implies the dhvaja (temple flag) as a bearer of auspiciousness and merit.