Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गर्भगृहं च गव्यूतिः कर्णिका सा मम प्रिया । क्षेत्रसीमा प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु देवि यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

garbhagṛhaṃ ca gavyūtiḥ karṇikā sā mama priyā | kṣetrasīmā pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu devi yathākramam

Translation

ഗർഭഗൃഹം ഒരു ഗവ്യൂതി അളവുള്ളത്; ആ ‘കർണികാ’ എനിക്കേറ്റവും പ്രിയം. ഇനി ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ അതിരുകൾ പറയും—ഹേ ദേവി, ക്രമമായി കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• गर्भगृहम्: the sanctum
• गर्भगृहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ + गृह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गर्भस्य गृहः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गव्यूतिः: a gavyūti (a distance measure)
• गव्यूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्यूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• कर्णिका: the central bud/knob; 'karṇikā'
• कर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (pronoun)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive singular (pronoun)

• प्रिया: dear; beloved
• प्रिया: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular; used predicatively

• क्षेत्रसीमा: the boundary of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रसीमा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + सीमा (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular; तत्पुरुष: 'क्षेत्रस्य सीमा'

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; vocative singular

• यथाक्रमम्: in due order
• यथाक्रमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (karṇikā/garbhagṛha core)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity (or sacred narrator) addresses Devī, indicating the ‘garbhagṛha’ and ‘karṇikā’ of Prabhāsa as a lotus-like center, while gesturing outward to describe the kṣetra’s boundary sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• garbhagṛha
• gavyūti
• karṇikā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The innermost sacred center (karṇikā/garbhagṛha) is especially beloved to the deity; approaching the core symbolizes approaching the heart of dharma and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa, particularly its garbhagṛha/karṇikā (the central sanctified core).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it transitions into the formal listing of the kṣetra’s boundaries (sīmā), which guides correct pilgrimage practice.