Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । तपांसि कानि कथ्यन्ते क्षेत्रे प्राभा सिके नरैः । कानि दानानि दीयन्ते केषु तीर्थेषु वा कथम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | tapāṃsi kāni kathyante kṣetre prābhā sike naraiḥ | kāni dānāni dīyante keṣu tīrtheṣu vā katham

Translation

Dewi bersabda: “Di kṣetra suci Prabhāsa, apakah tapa (pertapaan) yang diperkatakan oleh manusia? Apakah dana (sedekah) yang diberikan, di tīrtha manakah, dan dengan cara bagaimana?”

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• तपांसि: austerities, penances
• तपांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• कथ्यन्ते: are spoken/told
• कथ्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

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

• प्राभासिके: in/at Prābhāsika (Prabhāsa-related)
• प्राभासिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; क्षेत्रे इति विशेषण

• नरैः: by men, by people
• नरैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent/तृतीया कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• दानानि: gifts, donations
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• दीयन्ते: are given
• दीयन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• केषु: in which
• केषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred fords/pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक/alternative particle)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (query initiating tapas/dāna/tīrtha-vidhi exposition)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage/narrator (contextual respondent in the mahātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, seated in a sacred assembly at Prabhāsa, respectfully questions a sage/narrator about austerities and gifts practiced in the kṣetra; behind them are maps/cues of multiple tīrthas and a distant Somnātha shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśvara
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha practice unites tapas (discipline) and dāna (generosity) guided by right method and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra broadly, with interest in its internal tīrthas (sub-sites).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An inquiry initiating instruction on what austerities to perform and what charities to give at specific tīrthas.