Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अन्यद्दृष्टांतरूपं ते कथयामि यशस्विनि । येन सृष्टं महादेवि क्षेत्रमेतन्मम प्रियम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | anyaddṛṣṭāṃtarūpaṃ te kathayāmi yaśasvini | yena sṛṣṭaṃ mahādevi kṣetrametanmama priyam

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ യശസ്വിനീ! ഞാൻ നിനക്കൊരു മറ്റൊരു, ഭിന്നരൂപത്തിലുള്ള വൃത്താന്തം പറയുന്നു; അതിനാൽ, ഹേ മഹാദേവീ, എനിക്ക് പ്രിയമായ ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം സൃഷ്ടിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दृष्ट-अन्त-रूपम्: the form of the other end/other aspect (another perspective)
• दृष्ट-अन्त-रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त, √दृश्) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दृष्टस्य अन्तः इति / अन्ते रूपम् इति भावः)

• ते: to you/your (context: for you)
• ते: Sampradana/Relation (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथयामि: I tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, नामधातु/Denominative from कथा)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious one
• यशस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सृष्टम्: created
• सृष्टम्: Karma (Object described/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृष्ट (कृदन्त, √सृज्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती देविः)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• मम: my
• मम: Sampradana/Relation (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रियम्: dear, beloved
• प्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins a fresh, alternate-form narrative: a luminous teaching moment where the cosmos seems to open behind him as he explains how his beloved Prabhāsa-kṣetra came into being.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Devī)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra’s holiness is grounded in divine origin narratives that reveal why it is especially dear to the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, introduced as the Lord’s beloved sacred field with a creation account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it announces an origin-narrative that undergirds later prescriptions.