Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देहावतारो देवस्य प्रभासेऽर्कस्थलस्य च । पुराणाख्यानमाचक्षे तव देवि यशस्विनि

Transliteration

dehāvatāro devasya prabhāse'rkasthalasya ca | purāṇākhyānamācakṣe tava devi yaśasvini

Translation

ਹੇ ਯਸ਼ਸਵਿਨੀ ਦੇਵੀ, ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਕਸਥਲ ਅਤੇ ਦੇਵਤਾ ਦੇ ਦੇਹ-ਅਵਤਾਰ ਦੀ ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਕਥਾ ਸੁਣਾਵਾਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• देहावतारः: embodiment; incarnation in a body
• देहावतारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देहस्य अवतारः)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अर्कस्थलस्य: of Arka-sthala (Sun’s place)
• अर्कस्थलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्कस्य स्थलम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुराणाख्यानम्: the ancient narrative (Purāṇa account)
• पुराणाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुराणं च तत् आख्यानम्)

• आचक्षे: I narrate; I relate
• आचक्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• तव: to you / of you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• यशस्विनि: O illustrious one
• यशस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषण (देवि)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala (at Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Shiva promises an ancient purāṇic account: the Sun’s embodiment at Prabhāsa and the sanctity of Arkasthala; the scene shifts toward a ‘story-within-story’ framing, like opening a sacred chronicle.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Arkasthala
• Sūrya (implied)
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-stories link cosmic divinity to a real landscape, making pilgrimage a meeting-point of myth, dharma, and presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala at Prabhāsa, introduced as a key Sun-associated sacred spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it announces the forthcoming purāṇic narration.