Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

अत्र देशो मरुर्नाम जलवृक्षविवर्जितः । तत्र देशे महारौद्रे जनकस्ते नरोत्तम

Transliteration

atra deśo marurnāma jalavṛkṣavivarjitaḥ | tatra deśe mahāraudre janakaste narottama

Translation

ഇവിടെ ‘മരു’ എന്നൊരു ദേശമുണ്ട്; അത് ജലവും വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ഇല്ലാത്തത്. ഹേ നരോത്തമാ! ആ അത്യന്തം ഭയാനക ദേശത്തിൽ നിങ്ങളുടെ പിതാവ് വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• देशः: region, land
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन

• मरुः: desert
• मरुः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle meaning ‘by name’)

• जलवृक्षविवर्जितः: devoid of water and trees
• जलवृक्षविवर्जितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि+वर्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• देशे: in the region
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative); एकवचन

• महारौद्रे: very dreadful
• महारौद्रे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (descriptive)

• जनकः: father
• जनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नर-उत्तम: O best of men
• नर-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maru-deśa (as karmic destination, not a praised tīrtha here)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada points toward a vision of ‘Maru’: a waterless, treeless expanse under a harsh sun; the king recoils as he hears his father abides there.

Characters & Entities

• Maru (desert region)
• Vainya (Pṛthu)
• Vena (implied father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma leads to barren, harsh conditions—symbolically and literally—reflecting the soul’s karmic deprivation.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it contrasts sacred merit with the bleakness of a karmic realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive revelation of the father’s location/condition.