Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सोमवारव्रतेनैव सोमेशाराधनं प्रति । ततः क्षेत्रं समागत्य तपः कृत्वा सुदुश्चरम्

Transliteration

somavāravratenaiva someśārādhanaṃ prati | tataḥ kṣetraṃ samāgatya tapaḥ kṛtvā suduścaram

Translation

സോമേശാരാധനയ്ക്കായി സോമവാരവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്, തുടർന്ന് ഈ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലേക്ക് വന്ന് അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• सोमवारव्रतेन: by the Monday-vow
• सोमवारव्रतेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवार + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphasis)

• सोमेशाराधनम्: worship of Someśa
• सोमेशाराधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमेश + आराधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति: towards; for
• प्रति: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद/संबन्धबोधक (preposition-like indeclinable: 'towards/for')

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Goal object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• समागत्य: having come/arrived
• समागत्य: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (प्रत्यय)
• Form: त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• सुदुश्चरम्: very difficult (to perform)
• सुदुश्चरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुष्चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of तपः

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśa/Somnātha in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee undertakes Somavāra-vrata, then journeys to Prabhāsa and performs arduous tapas—standing in meditation near a coastal sacred grove with a distant shrine of Someśa.

Characters & Entities

• Someśa
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined vrata and sincere austerity, when directed to Śiva, become a direct means to sanctification in a holy kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (the Prabhāsa sacred region) is presented as the powerful setting for tapas and Śiva-worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of Somavāra-vrata (Monday vow) and performing tapas after arriving at the kṣetra.