Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

किं प्रभावो महादेव क्षेत्रस्य च सुरेश्वर । तन्मे ब्रूहि सुरेशान याथातथ्यं ममाग्रतः

Transliteration

kiṃ prabhāvo mahādeva kṣetrasya ca sureśvara | tanme brūhi sureśāna yāthātathyaṃ mamāgrataḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവാ, ഹേ സുരേശ്വരാ! ഈ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ പ്രഭാവം എന്താണ്? ഹേ സുരേശാനാ! യഥാതഥ്യമായി എന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ വ്യക്തമാക്കുക.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• प्रभावः: power, glory, efficacy
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः महा+देव (विशेषण-विशेष्य)

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुरेश्वर: O Lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः सुराणाम् ईश्वरः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; संकेतार्थक सर्वनाम

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• ब्रूहि: tell, speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरेशान: O ruler of the gods
• सुरेशान: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः सुराणाम् ईशानः

• याथातथ्यम्: the exact truth, as it really is
• याथातथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याथातथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः यथा+तथ्य (यथावत्-भावः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front (of me), before me
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī/Umā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva/Īśvara (Sureśāna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī requests a plain, exact account of the kṣetra’s power; the scene emphasizes didactic clarity—Śiva as teacher, Devī as earnest seeker; the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa is subtly present (sea, shrine, tīrtha waters).

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• kṣetra (Prabhāsa kṣetra)
• Sureśvara/Sureśāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a sacred place with sincere questioning and desire for truth is part of purāṇic learning and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra—its kṣetra-prabhāva (site-power) is the topic of inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on requesting an authoritative explanation of the kṣetra’s glory.