Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

इच्छाशक्तिस्तु सा ज्ञेयाप्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थिता । तत्र देवि हितार्थाय सर्वेषां प्राणिनां भुवि

Transliteration

icchāśaktistu sā jñeyāprabhāsakṣetrasaṃsthitā | tatra devi hitārthāya sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ bhuvi

Translation

Dia hendaklah dikenali sebagai Icchāśakti, Kuasa Kehendak, yang bersemayam di kṣetra suci Prabhāsa. Di sana, wahai Dewi, demi kebajikan semua makhluk bernyawa di bumi.

Word by Word

• इच्छाशक्तिः: the power of will
• इच्छाशक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छाशक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; इच्छा + शक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इच्छायाः शक्तिः / इच्छाशक्ति), प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘will-power’

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

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘she/that’

• ज्ञेया: should be known
• ज्ञेया: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: विधेयार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘to be known/should be known’

• प्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थिता: situated in the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थित (प्रातिपदिक; प्रभास + क्षेत्र + संस्थित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (संस्थित = past participle ‘situated’), तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रभासक्षेत्रे संस्थिता) — ‘situated in Prabhāsa-kṣetra’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb) — ‘there’

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘O Goddess’

• हितार्थाय: for (their) welfare
• हितार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हितार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; हित + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हितस्य अर्थः) — ‘for the sake of welfare’

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of all’

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — ‘of living beings’

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री ‘earth’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — ‘on earth/in the world’

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Icchāśakti-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as ‘devi’ within the verse’s vocative frame; broader audience is the listener of the mahatmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as Icchāśakti enthroned within Prabhāsa’s sacred field, radiating a gentle force that touches humans, animals, and birds—signifying ‘for the welfare of all living beings’. Somnātha’s presence is implied as the axis of her establishment.

Characters & Entities

• Icchāśakti
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Devī/Umā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is portrayed as a living center of divine power meant for universal welfare, not merely individual gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as the seat of Icchāśakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recognition/meditation on Icchāśakti’s presence in Prabhāsa is implied; no explicit procedure is stated in this verse.