Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

यवाधिकं प्रभासात्तु तीर्थमेतद्भवाज्ञया । अन्येषां षड्गुणं तीर्थं भविष्यति शिवाज्ञया

Transliteration

yavādhikaṃ prabhāsāttu tīrthametadbhavājñayā | anyeṣāṃ ṣaḍguṇaṃ tīrthaṃ bhaviṣyati śivājñayā

Translation

ഭവന്റെ (ശിവന്റെ) ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം ഈ തീർത്ഥം പ്രഭാസത്തെയും മികവുറ്റ ‘യവാധിക’ ആകുന്നു. ശിവാജ്ഞപ്രകാരം ഇത് മറ്റു തീർത്ഥങ്ങളെക്കാൾ ആറിരട്ടി പുണ്യഫലം നൽകുന്നതായിരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• यवाधिकम्: greater by one yava (a barley-grain measure)
• यवाधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यव + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative sense: 'more by')

• प्रभासात्: from Prabhāsa
• प्रभासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• भवाज्ञया: by Bhava's (Śiva's) command
• भवाज्ञया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भवस्य आज्ञा)

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• षड्गुणम्: sixfold
• षड्गुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• तीर्थम्: the tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिवाज्ञया: by Śiva's command
• शिवाज्ञया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य आज्ञा)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yavādhika-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhava/Śiva’s command is proclaimed—either via a divine voice or a radiant sign over the shrine—declaring Yavādhika superior to Prabhāsa and sixfold in merit over other tīrthas; pilgrims and devas react in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Yavādhika tīrtha
• Prabhāsa
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Śiva (explicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of a place is ultimately grounded in Śiva’s ājñā; divine decree makes certain tīrthas exceptionally potent for puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yavādhika tīrtha, declared superior even to Prabhāsa and granting sixfold merit over other tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is listed; the verse gives comparative tīrtha-phala (relative merit) based on Śiva’s command.