Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

जल प्रभासश्च ततो दक्षिणेन वरानने । कृतस्मरप्रभासश्च श्मशानं यत्र भैरवम्

Transliteration

jala prabhāsaśca tato dakṣiṇena varānane | kṛtasmaraprabhāsaśca śmaśānaṃ yatra bhairavam

Translation

त्यानंतर दक्षिणेस, हे वरानने, जल-प्रभास आहे; तसेच कृतस्मर-प्रभासही आहे—जिथे भैरवाचे पावन श्मशान-तीर्थ आहे।

Word by Word

• जलप्रभासः: Jala-Prabhāsa (Water Prabhāsa)
• जलप्रभासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—जलः प्रभासः / जले प्रभासः (प्रचलित-नाम; कर्मधारय-रूपेण)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ततः: from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb; from there)

• दक्षिणेन: to the south; southwards
• दक्षिणेन: Adhikarana (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-प्रयोगः (by/along the south)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरानना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—वरा आनना यस्याः (कर्मधारय)

• कृतस्मरप्रभासः: Kṛtasmarā-Prabhāsa (Prabhāsa named Kṛtasmarā)
• कृतस्मरप्रभासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतस्मर + प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कृतस्मर-नामकः प्रभासः (तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• श्मशानम्: cremation ground
• श्मशानम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• भैरवम्: terrible; Bhairava-like
• भैरवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; श्मशानस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jala-Prabhāsa; Kṛtasmarā-Prabhāsa (Bhairava-śmaśāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varānanā (addressed as ‘O fair-faced one’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple is guided southward through sandy coastal terrain with low scrub; shimmering water indicates Jala-Prabhāsa; nearby, a solemn cremation-ground with a Bhairava shrine—tridents, skull-garlands, and protective lamps—stands under a darkening sky.

Characters & Entities

• Jala-Prabhāsa
• Kṛtasmarā-Prabhāsa
• Bhairava
• Śmaśāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even liminal spaces like the śmaśāna are sanctified in Śaiva sacred geography, teaching fearlessness and detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jala-Prabhāsa and Kṛtasmarā-Prabhāsa, including a Bhairava-associated cremation-ground locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse identifies sites and their Śaiva markers (Bhairava, śmaśāna).