Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

मोक्षमार्गं वरा रोहे तथा देवि सुदर्शनम् । धर्मगर्भं तु धर्माणां प्रभासं पापनाशनम् । अतः परं भवन्तीह उत्पलावर्त्तिकानि च

Transliteration

mokṣamārgaṃ varā rohe tathā devi sudarśanam | dharmagarbhaṃ tu dharmāṇāṃ prabhāsaṃ pāpanāśanam | ataḥ paraṃ bhavantīha utpalāvarttikāni ca

Translation

‘ମୋକ୍ଷମାର୍ଗ’, ହେ ଦେବୀ, ‘ବରାରୋହା’ ଏବଂ ‘ସୁଦର୍ଶନ’—ମଙ୍ଗଳ ଦର୍ଶନ। ‘ଧର୍ମଗର୍ଭ’—ଧର୍ମମାନଙ୍କର ଗର୍ଭ, ଏବଂ ‘ପ୍ରଭାସ’—ପାପନାଶକ। ଏହାପରେ ଏଠାରେ ‘ଉତ୍ପଲାବର୍ତ୍ତିକା’ ନାମକ ତୀର୍ଥମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଉଦ୍ଭବ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• mokṣa-mārgam: the path to liberation
• mokṣa-mārgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mokṣasya mārgaḥ)

• varā: O excellent one
• varā: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे (vocative-sense epithet)

• rohe: O Roha (name)
• rohe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb/conjunctive: 'also/likewise')

• devi: O goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• sudarśanam: Sudarśana (the auspicious/beautiful-seeing one)
• sudarśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं दर्शनं यस्य/सु-दर्शनम्)

• dharma-garbham: the womb/essence of dharma
• dharma-garbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharmasya garbhaḥ)

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

• dharmāṇām: of dharmas / of righteous duties
• dharmāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• prabhāsam: Prabhāsa (the sacred place)
• prabhāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• pāpa-nāśanam: sin-destroying
• pāpa-nāśanam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pāpasya nāśanam); विशेषणम् (qualifying prabhāsam)

• ataḥ: thereafter, then
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययप्रयोग (ablatival adverb: 'thereafter/from this')

• param: further, next
• param: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'further/next')

• bhavanti: they are / they occur
• bhavanti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• utpala-āvarttikāni: Utpala-āvarttikās (name of places/whirlpools)
• utpala-āvarttikāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpala (प्रातिपदिक) + āvarttikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (utpalasya āvarttikāni)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī explicitly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (pāpa-nāśana) and Utpalāvarttikā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous path labeled Mokṣamārga leading toward the central shrine; Sudarśana appears as a radiant disc/halo of clear vision; Dharmagarbha shown as a golden womb-like sanctum of scriptures; Prabhāsa as a blazing light that dissolves darkness; nearby, Utpalāvarttikā depicted as lotus-filled swirling waters.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Mokṣamārga
• Sudarśana
• Dharmagarbha
• Prabhāsa
• Utpalāvarttikāni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is praised as a dharma-source and sin-destroyer, and its sacred sub-sites are presented as stepping-stones on the path to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra and its associated upakṣetras, including the Utpalāvarttikā sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse continues the enumeration of sanctifying names and related sacred locales.