Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कृत्वा तत्र तपश्चोग्रं दीक्षयित्वात्मशिष्य कान् । कुशकादींश्च चतुर उक्त्वा शास्त्राण्यनेकशः

Transliteration

kṛtvā tatra tapaścograṃ dīkṣayitvātmaśiṣya kān | kuśakādīṃśca catura uktvā śāstrāṇyanekaśaḥ

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਉਗ੍ਰ ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਕੀਤੀ; ਆਪਣੇ ਸ਼ਿਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੀਖਿਆ ਦਿੱਤੀ; ਕੁਸ਼ਕ ਆਦਿ ਚਤੁਰ ਆਚਾਰਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਾਸਤਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਨੇਕ ਵਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund/absolutive ‘having done’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location as adverb/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — adverb

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• उग्रम्: fierce, intense
• उग्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• दीक्षयित्वा: having initiated
• दीक्षयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) + क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having initiated (someone)’

• आत्मशिष्यान्: his own disciples
• आत्मशिष्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — accusative plural; तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः शिष्याः)

• कुशकादीन्: Kuśaka and others
• कुशकादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — accusative plural; तत्पुरुषः (कुशक-आदीन् = Kuśaka and others)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — accusative plural; विशेषणम् (कुशकादीन्)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken/taught
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having said/taught’

• शास्त्राणि: treatises, teachings
• शास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — accusative plural

• अनेकशः: many times; in many ways
• अनेकशः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/आवृत्तिवाचक) — adverb ‘many times/in many ways’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakulīśa-sthāna (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakulīśa performs intense tapas near his shrine; disciples sit in rows; a dīkṣā moment occurs with sacred thread/ashes; Kuśaka and other teachers receive instruction; palm-leaf manuscripts and teaching gestures dominate the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Lakulīśvara (implied)
• Kuśaka (Kuśakādi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha becomes a living seat of dharma when realized teachers combine tapas, dīkṣā, and repeated instruction of śāstra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa/Mahākṣetra, presented as the setting for Lakulīśvara’s austerities and teaching activity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīkṣā (initiation) is referenced as a formal spiritual rite conferred upon disciples.