Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । आदौ स्वायंभुवे देवि पूर्वमन्वन्तरे पुरा । त्रेतायुगे चतुर्थे तु प्रभासे क्षेत्र उत्तमे

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | ādau svāyaṃbhuve devi pūrvamanvantare purā | tretāyuge caturthe tu prabhāse kṣetra uttame

Translation

ईश्वर म्हणाले—हे देवी, आदिकाळी स्वायंभुवाच्या पूर्व मन्वंतरात; त्रेतायुगाच्या चौथ्या चरणी, उत्तम प्रभास-क्षेत्रात…

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative used adverbially)

• स्वायंभुवे: in the Svāyambhuva (Manu’s)
• स्वायंभुवे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (to मन्वन्तरे)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अन्वन्तरे: in the manvantara
• अन्वन्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• पुरा: of old, long ago
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā age
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेतायुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रेतायाः युगम्)

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth (part/phase)
• चतुर्थे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (to युगे/काले)

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

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• उत्तमे: excellent, best
• उत्तमे: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (to क्षेत्रे)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins a primordial narration: cosmic time motifs (yuga wheel, manvantara markers) overlay the Prabhāsa landscape, suggesting the site’s antiquity and supremacy.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)
• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Manvantara
• Tretā-yuga
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-greatness is anchored in cosmic time; Purāṇas connect sacred geography with Manvantaras and Yugas to show enduring sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is identified as an ‘uttama kṣetra’ (supreme sacred field).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the time and place for the forthcoming Māhātmya narrative.