Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । ततस्तेषु प्रयातेषु देवदेवेष्वसौ मुनिः । शतवर्षाणि तत्रस्थस्तपसे प्रस्थितो द्विजः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | tatasteṣu prayāteṣu devadeveṣvasau muniḥ | śatavarṣāṇi tatrasthastapase prasthito dvijaḥ

Translation

ଈଶ୍ୱର କହିଲେ—ଦେବଦେବମାନେ ପ୍ରସ୍ଥାନ କରିଗଲାପରେ, ସେଇ ଦ୍ୱିଜ ମୁନି ସେଠାରେ ରହି ଶତବର୍ଷ ତପସ୍ୟାରେ ପ୍ରବୃତ୍ତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• teṣu: when they (were)
• teṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; अधिकरणे

• prayāteṣu: having departed
• prayāteṣu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-yā (धातु) + prayāta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; teṣu इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• devadeveṣu: among the gods (lit. god-gods)
• devadeveṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-deva (प्रातिपदिक; देव + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरणे

• asau: that (well-known)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śatavarṣāṇi: for a hundred years
• śatavarṣāṇi: Kriya-visheshana (Duration/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata-varṣa (प्रातिपदिक; शत + वर्ष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण-द्वितीया (accusative of duration)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb)

• sthaḥ: staying
• sthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + stha (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (tatra) इत्यस्य सह ‘तत्रस्थः’ अर्थः

• tapase: for austerity
• tapase: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• prasthitaḥ: set out / engaged
• prasthitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-sthā (धातु) + prasthita (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विजः/मुनिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• dvijaḥ: the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मुनिः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara narrates: after the gods depart, Dadhīci remains at Prabhāsa and begins a hundred-year austerity—seated in meditation, seasons passing around him.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devas
• Muni (Dadhīci)
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After fulfilling duty to others, a sage returns to sustained tapas—showing steadiness, renunciation, and spiritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, as the place where long austerities are undertaken and sacred events unfold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is described, though no specific vow-method is detailed in this verse.