Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्स्थाने स्थितं देवि पातालविवरं महत् । तस्मिन्महाप्रभे स्थाने रक्षारूपेण संस्थिताम्

Transliteration

tasminsthāne sthitaṃ devi pātālavivaraṃ mahat | tasminmahāprabhe sthāne rakṣārūpeṇa saṃsthitām

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് പാതാളത്തിലേക്കുള്ള ഒരു മഹാവിവരം ഉണ്ട്. അത്യന്തം പ്രഭാമയമായ ആ സ്ഥാനത്ത് അവൾ രക്ഷാരൂപമായി അധിവസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular); अधिकरणे (locative)

• स्थाने: place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• स्थितम्: situated/placed
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पातालविवरम्: the chasm of Pātāla
• पातालविवरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + विवर (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातालस्य विवरम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• महाप्रभे: O great-splendoured one
• महाप्रभे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/सप्तमी (contextually vocative addressing), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती प्रभा यस्याः/या)

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• रक्षारूपेण: in the form of protection/guard
• रक्षारूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + रूप (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/प्रकारवाचक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षायाः रूपेण)

• संस्थिताम्: (her) stationed/established
• संस्थिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; (देवीं) विशेषयति

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rakṣā-śakti pīṭha at Prabhāsa (near Someśvara) with Pātāla-vivara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant shrine-platform beside a dark fissure descending into the earth (pātāla-vivara). The Devī stands luminous, holding protective emblems, her light sealing the threshold while devotees keep respectful distance.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Śakti (protectress form)
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as liminal realms; the Goddess safeguards such potent thresholds as a divine protectress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A radiant Śakti-seat in Prabhāsa Kṣetra associated with a great Pātāla-opening.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes the protective presence of the Goddess at the site.