Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

कोटिरेका तु तत्रैव ऋषीणामूर्द्ध्वरेतसाम् । चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानामधिको बलरूपधृक्

Transliteration

koṭirekā tu tatraiva ṛṣīṇāmūrddhvaretasām | caturviṃśatitattvānāmadhiko balarūpadhṛk

Translation

അവിടെയേ തന്നെ ഊർദ്ധ്വരേതസ്സായ ഋഷികൾ ഒരു കോടി ഒന്നു എന്ന എണ്ണത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു. കൂടാതെ അത് ഇരുപത്തിനാലു തത്ത്വങ്ങളെക്കാൾ ഉന്നതം, ബലരൂപം ധരിച്ചതെന്ന് ശ്രുതിയുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• कोटि: a crore (ten million)
• कोटि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• एका: one (additional)
• एका: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘कोटि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधबोधक-निपात (particle ‘but/indeed’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• एव: only/just
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic ‘just/only’)

• ऋषीणाम्: of sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• ऊर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्: of the celibate/continent (with upward semen)
• ऊर्द्ध्वरेतसाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्द्ध्व-रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ऊर्द्ध्वं रेतः येषाम् इति); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; ‘ऋषीणाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चतुर्विंशति: twenty-four
• चतुर्विंशति: Viśeṣaṇa (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चतुर्विंशतिः = 24); संख्या-विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद)

• तत्त्वानाम्: of principles/tattvas
• तत्त्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• अधिकः: greater, superior
• अधिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• बलरूपधृक्: bearing the form of strength
• बलरूपधृक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + रूप + धृ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बलस्य रूपं धत्ते इति); ‘धृ’ धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त (धृक्) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘अधिकः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hiraṇyā (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast assembly of serene ascetics with uplifted energy (ūrdhvaretaḥ) sits in meditation around a radiant, formless center symbolizing power (bala-śakti); above them, a subtle diagrammatic aura suggests transcendence beyond the 24 tattvas.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (ūrdhvaretas)
• Caturviṃśati-tattva (24 principles, Sāṃkhya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is portrayed as a seat of immense ascetic power, surpassing mere metaphysical categories through realized tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Hiraṇyā region within Prabhāsakṣetra, described as inhabited by vast numbers of powerful ṛṣis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it emphasizes the presence of ūrdhvareta ṛṣis and a transcendent spiritual potency.