Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । वस्त्रापथे महाक्षेत्रे नगरे वामने पुरा । पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | vastrāpathe mahākṣetre nagare vāmane purā | putraśokābhisaṃtapto vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ

Translation

Sārasvata disse: Outrora, na cidade chamada Vāmana, dentro do grande kṣetra sagrado de Vastrāpatha, o bem-aventurado sábio Vasiṣṭha, abrasado pela dor por seu filho, (ali chegou).

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (the sage)
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• वस्त्रापथे: in Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नगरे: in the city
• नगरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वामने: in (the place called) Vāmana
• वामने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• पुत्रशोक-अभिसंतप्तः: tormented by grief for (his) son
• पुत्रशोक-अभिसंतप्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि-√तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (पुत्रस्य शोकः; तेन अभिसंतप्तः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• भगवान्: venerable; blessed
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-mahākṣetra (Vāmana-nagara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata narrates: Vasiṣṭha, burdened by grief for his son, enters Vāmana city within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, seeking a place for austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vastrāpatha
• Vāmana (city)
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even great sages turn to sacred places in times of grief, showing tīrthas as refuges for healing and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra, specifically the city named Vāmana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it introduces the narrative setting for subsequent tapas and divine encounter.