Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

अतो यवाधिकं प्रोक्तं तीर्थं देवैः सवासवैः । इंद्रेण कुर्वता देवं समागत्य भवाग्रतः

Transliteration

ato yavādhikaṃ proktaṃ tīrthaṃ devaiḥ savāsavaiḥ | iṃdreṇa kurvatā devaṃ samāgatya bhavāgrataḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് വാസവൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) സഹിതം ദേവന്മാർ ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തെ ‘യവാധിക’ എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. ഇന്ദ്രൻ ദേവപ്രതിഷ്ഠ നടത്തുമ്പോൾ അവർ ഭവന്റെ (ശിവന്റെ) മുമ്പിൽ സമാഗമിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore, hence
• अतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from this)

• यव-अधिकम्: greater by (a measure of) a barley-corn
• यव-अधिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण; to तीर्थम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (यवेन अधिकम् = more by a barley-corn measure)

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karta (कर्ता; in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स-वासवैः: together with the Vasus/with Vāsava(s)
• स-वासवैः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपपद) + वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव (वासवैः सह)

• इन्द्रेण: by Indra
• इन्द्रेण: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्वता: while doing, as he was making
• कुर्वता: Karana (करण; attendant action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवम्: the deity (god)
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समागत्य: having come
• समागत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → समा-√गम् → समागत्य (कृदन्त; ल्यप्/त्वा)
• Form: ल्यप्/त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having come/arrived

• भव-अग्रतः: in front of Bhava (Śiva)
• भव-अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रतस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव (भवस्य अग्रतः = in front of Bhava)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yavādhika-tīrtha (at Vastrāpatha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, surrounded by devas, stands before Bhava’s shrine while the assembly proclaims the tīrtha ‘Yavādhika’; ritual implements and a newly established deity are present.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (gods)
• Vāsava/Indra
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Yavādhika tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is affirmed by divine consensus; consecrations performed in Śiva’s presence become especially authoritative and meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha named Yavādhika within the Vastrāpatha māhātmya cycle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Establishing/creating the deity (devakaraṇa/pratiṣṭhā context) in the presence of Śiva (Bhava).