Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

एतास्तु मातरो देवि सुनंदागणनामतः । ख्यातिं यांति प्रभासे तु क्षेत्रेस्मिन्वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

etāstu mātaro devi sunaṃdāgaṇanāmataḥ | khyātiṃ yāṃti prabhāse tu kṣetresminvaravarṇini

Translation

ହେ ଦେବି! ଏହି ମାତୃଦେବୀମାନେ ‘ସୁନନ୍ଦା-ଗଣ’ ନାମରେ ପରିଚିତ; ହେ ଵରବର୍ଣ୍ଣିନି! ଏହି ପବିତ୍ର ପ୍ରଭାସକ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ସେମାନେ ଖ୍ୟାତି ଓ ମହିମା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• etāḥ: these (Mothers)
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन

• tu: indeed; however
• tu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• mātaraḥ: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• mātaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• sunandāgaṇa-nāmataḥ: by the name ‘Sunandā-gaṇa’
• sunandāgaṇa-nāmataḥ: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sunandā + gaṇa + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; समासः—तत्पुरुष (sunandā-gaṇa ‘group headed by Sunandā’ + nāmataḥ ‘by name’)

• khyātim: fame; renown
• khyātim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2), एकवचन

• yānti: attain; go to
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• prabhāse: in Prabhāsa
• prabhāse: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• kṣetre: in the sacred field/region
• kṣetre: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7), एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (kṣetre प्रति)

• vara-varṇini: O fair/beautiful one
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (vara ‘excellent’ + varṇinī ‘complexioned/beautiful’)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sunandā-gaṇa locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as 'devi', 'varavarṇini')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant assembly of Mothers identified as the Sunandā-gaṇa stands within Prabhāsa’s sacred precinct; pilgrims and sages speak of their fame as their aura spreads like sunlight across the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Mātṛs
• Sunandā-gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine powers (the Mātṛs) are especially celebrated and accessible in a consecrated kṣetra; sacred geography amplifies devotional merit and divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), a प्रमुख holy field praised in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it primarily states the kṣetra’s power to confer renown and prominence upon the divine Mothers.