Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

धनुषां षोडशं यावत्समंतात्परिमंडलम् । क्षेत्रमस्य समाख्यातं प्राणिनां मुक्तिदायकम्

Transliteration

dhanuṣāṃ ṣoḍaśaṃ yāvatsamaṃtātparimaṃḍalam | kṣetramasya samākhyātaṃ prāṇināṃ muktidāyakam

Translation

ചുറ്റുമെല്ലാം പതിനാറു ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അളവോളം വൃത്തപരിധിയായി ഇതിന്റെ വ്യാപ്തി പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്; ഈ ക്ഷേത്രം ജീവികൾക്ക് മോക്ഷദായകമാണ്।

Word by Word

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Measure/Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• षोडशम्: sixteen
• षोडशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (परिमाणवाचक)

• यावत्: up to, as far as
• यावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Extent/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्धबोधक)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (up to/as far as)

• समन्तात्: on all sides, all around
• समन्तात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक (from all sides/around)

• परिमण्डलम्: a circular area, circumference
• परिमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (आकार/परिमाणवाचक)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी; एकवचन

• समाख्यातम्: is declared/called
• समाख्यातम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• मुक्तिदायकम्: granting liberation
• मुक्तिदायकम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मुक्तेः दायकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (क्षेत्रम्)

Speaker

Narrative context (speaker not explicit in this verse; within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bird’s-eye sacred map: a circular maṇḍala around the central liṅga, marked by sixteen dhanu-lengths; pilgrims circumambulate the boundary; subtle aura indicates mokṣa-field.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A consecrated sacred geography is not symbolic alone; the kṣetra itself is portrayed as actively granting mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described with a defined circular sacred perimeter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse defines the kṣetra’s extent and its mokṣa-bestowing power.