Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नन्दनं परितस्तस्य तस्यापि परतः शिवम् । शिवात्परतरं चोग्रं भद्रिकं परतः पुनः

Transliteration

nandanaṃ paritastasya tasyāpi parataḥ śivam | śivātparataraṃ cograṃ bhadrikaṃ parataḥ punaḥ

Translation

அதனைச் சுற்றிலும் ‘நந்தன’ம் எனப் புகழப்படும்; அதற்கு அப்பால் ‘சிவம்’; சிவத்திற்கும் அப்பால் மீண்டும் ‘உக்ரம்’; அதற்கும் அப்பால் மறுபடியும் ‘பத்ரிகம்’ என நினைக்கப்படுகிறது।

Word by Word

• नन्दनम्: Nandana (name)
• नन्दनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (सूच्यते)

• परितः: around
• परितः: Desha (Spatial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition: around)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• परतः: beyond
• परतः: Desha (Spatial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (beyond/further)

• शिवम्: Śiva (name)
• शिवम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• शिवात्: from/beyond Śiva (than Śiva)
• शिवात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• परतरम्: more further/beyond
• परतरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• उग्रम्: Ugra (name)
• उग्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• भद्रिकम्: Bhadrika (name)
• भद्रिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम

• परतः: beyond
• परतः: Desha (Spatial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (further/beyond)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/पुनःशब्दः (adverb: again/further)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (concentric sthānas: Nandana–Śiva–Ugra–Bhadrika)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (explicitly addressed in the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred field drawn as concentric rings around a luminous central shrine; each ring bears a deity-name—Nandana, Śiva, Ugra, Bhadrika—like inscriptions on a mandala, with pilgrims circumambulating.

Characters & Entities

• Nandana
• Śiva (as a toponymic name)
• Ugra
• Bhadrika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy space is envisioned in layers—each zone bearing a distinct divine character, guiding pilgrims from auspiciousness to deeper Śaiva intensity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described through successive surrounding/beyond zones named Nandana, Śiva, Ugra, and Bhadrika.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse maps sacred zones, supporting pilgrimage orientation and devotional contemplation.