Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

दुर्ल्लभस्तत्र वासस्तु दुर्ल्लभं भवदर्शनम् । प्रेतत्वं नैव तस्यास्ति न याम्या नारकी व्यथा

Transliteration

durllabhastatra vāsastu durllabhaṃ bhavadarśanam | pretatvaṃ naiva tasyāsti na yāmyā nārakī vyathā

Translation

അവിടെ വാസം ദുർലഭം, ഭവദർശനവും ദുർലഭം; അത് ലഭിച്ചവന് പ്രേതത്വമില്ല, യമയാതനയില്ല, നരകവ്യഥയും ഇല്ല।

Word by Word

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वासः: dwelling, residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवदर्शनम्: seeing Bhava (Śiva)
• भवदर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भवस्य दर्शनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• याम्या: Yama-related
• याम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (यमसम्बन्धिनी)

• नारकी: hellish
• नारकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (नरकसम्बन्धिनी)

• व्यथा: pain, torment
• व्यथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha residence and Bhava-darśana

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative scene: a devotee receives Bhava’s darśana; behind, shadowy figures of preta and Yama’s attendants dissolve into light, indicating release from yāmya/nāraka torment; the kṣetra appears serene and protected.

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Śiva)
• Yama
• Preta
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s darśana in a great kṣetra is portrayed as a safeguard that removes fear of post-death suffering and lower destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, where residence and Bhava-darśana are declared rare and supremely protective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite beyond attaining Bhava-darśana (and implicitly living/sojourning there).