Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तं महादेवि प्रभासं क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । दृष्ट्वा संस्काररहिताः कलौ पापेन मोहिताः

Transliteration

evamuktaṃ mahādevi prabhāsaṃ kṣetramuttamam | dṛṣṭvā saṃskārarahitāḥ kalau pāpena mohitāḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവി! ഇങ്ങനെ പ്രഭാസം പരമോത്തമ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രമെന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. എന്നാൽ കലിയുഗത്തിൽ സംസ്കാരശൂന്യർ പാപമോഹത്തിൽ മയങ്ങി അതും ദർശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of manner)

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• उक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (past passive participle; neuter nom/acc sg)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयसमासः (महती देवी) (feminine vocative singular; karmadharaya)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (masculine accusative singular)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (neuter accusative singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (neuter accusative singular; adjective)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having seen)

• संस्काररहिताः: devoid of rites/refinement
• संस्काररहिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कार + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (संस्कारैः रहिताः) (masculine nominative plural; tatpurusha)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (masculine locative singular)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (neuter instrumental singular)

• मोहिताः: deluded
• मोहिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि-भावे विशेषणम् (past passive participle used adjectivally; masculine nominative plural)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator addresses Devī, praising Prabhāsa as supreme, while in the background Kali-yuga pilgrims appear unrefined—eyes clouded, gestures careless—standing before a radiant kṣetra whose sanctity contrasts their inner darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Kali-yuga
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is supremely powerful, but spiritual benefit depends on the pilgrim’s inner purification and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra is praised as an uttama (supreme) sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied prescription: cultivate saṃskāra (ethical-spiritual refinement) rather than merely ‘seeing’ the site.