Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ वच्मि तृतीयां ते ज्ञानशक्तिं शिवात्मिकाम् । प्रभासक्षेत्रमध्यस्थां दारिद्र्यौघविनाशिनीम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha vacmi tṛtīyāṃ te jñānaśaktiṃ śivātmikām | prabhāsakṣetramadhyasthāṃ dāridryaughavināśinīm

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ നിന്നോട് മൂന്നാമത്തെ ശക്തിയായ, ശിവാത്മികയായ ജ്ഞാനശക്തിയെ പറയുന്നു; അവൾ പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതയായി ദാരിദ്ര്യപ്രവാഹങ്ങളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• वच्मि: I speak/tell
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तृतीयाम्: the third
• तृतीयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• ज्ञानशक्तिम्: the power of knowledge
• ज्ञानशक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य शक्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• शिवात्मिकाम्: of Śiva-natured
• शिवात्मिकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—शिवः आत्मा यस्याः/शिवात्मिका (तत्पुरुषः)

• प्रभासक्षेत्रमध्यस्थाम्: situated in the middle of Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• प्रभासक्षेत्रमध्यस्थाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभास + क्षेत्र + मध्य + स्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—प्रभासक्षेत्रस्य मध्ये स्थिता (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः)

• दारिद्र्यौघविनाशिनीम्: destroyer of the flood of poverty
• दारिद्र्यौघविनाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारिद्र्य + ओघ + विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—दारिद्र्यौघस्य विनाशिनी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānaśakti (Śivātmikā) at Prabhāsa-kṣetra-madhya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (frame listener within Prabhāsa-māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks, revealing a radiant feminine Jñānaśakti seated or standing at the mandala-center of Prabhāsa; light emanates like a lamp-flame, dispelling darkness symbolizing poverty and ignorance.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Jñānaśakti
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowledge aligned with Śiva (jñānaśakti) is portrayed as a sacred power that transforms life—removing poverty and inner limitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, described as the seat of a Śiva-formed jñānaśakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual appears in this verse; it introduces a māhātmya of a śakti residing in the kṣetra.