Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

समंतान्मंडलाकारा कर्णिका सा मम प्रिया । तस्यां ये प्राणिनः सर्वे मृताः कालेन पार्वति

Transliteration

samaṃtānmaṃḍalākārā karṇikā sā mama priyā | tasyāṃ ye prāṇinaḥ sarve mṛtāḥ kālena pārvati

Translation

Со всех сторон, в круглом облике, находится та «Карника», Мне дорогая. В ней, о Парвати, все живые существа, что умирают по течению времени…

Word by Word

• samantāt: on all sides, all around
• samantāt: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘चारों ओर/सर्वतः’

• maṇḍala-ākārā: circular in form
• maṇḍala-ākārā: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी/उपमान-निर्देश: ‘मण्डलस्य आकारः’ = circular-shaped)

• karṇikā: the central bud/whorl (karṇikā)
• karṇikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sā: she/that (one)
• sā: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mama: my
• mama: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive: ‘of me/my’)

• priyā: dear, beloved
• priyā: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• tasyām: in her/therein
• tasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• prāṇinaḥ: living beings
• prāṇinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• mṛtāḥ: dead, having died
• mṛtāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘मृत’ = dead

• kālena: by time, at the time (of death)
• kālena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (instrumental/causal)

• pārvati: O Pārvatī
• pārvati: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karṇikā (core precinct of Prabhāsa near Someśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circular sacred precinct (mandala) called Karṇikā, like a lotus-center; Śiva’s affection for it is implied by protective aura; the boundary glows, suggesting that even death within is transmuted.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Karṇikā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain inner zones of a kṣetra are described as exceptionally grace-filled, where even ordinary death becomes spiritually transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Karṇikā—an inner, circular sacred core within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on the salvific status of the Karṇikā precinct.