Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । प्रभासक्षेत्रदूतीनां त्रितयं वरवर्णिनि । अथ ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु ह्येकमनाः प्रिये

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | prabhāsakṣetradūtīnāṃ tritayaṃ varavarṇini | atha te saṃpravakṣyāmi śṛṇu hyekamanāḥ priye

Translation

ஈசுவரன் கூறினான்— அழகிய நிறமுடைய பிரியே! இப்போது பிரபாசக்ஷேத்ரத்தின் தூதிகளான மூவரைப் பற்றி தெளிவாக உரைக்கிறேன். ஒருமனத்துடன் கேள்.

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• prabhāsa-kṣetra-dūtīnām: of the messengers of Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• prabhāsa-kṣetra-dūtīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + dūtī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (prabhāsakṣetrasya dūtīnāṃ)

• tritayam: the triad/group of three
• tritayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tritaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• vara-varṇini: O fair-complexioned one
• vara-varṇini: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (varā varṇinī)

• atha: now/then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रस्ताव/अनन्तर-अव्ययम् (now/then)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), एकवचनम् (to you)

• saṃpravakṣyāmi: I will explain fully
• saṃpravakṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+pra+vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle: indeed)

• eka-manāḥ: single-minded
• eka-manāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (yasya manaḥ ekam)

• priye: O beloved
• priye: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra dūtī-traya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī priyā (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara addresses his beloved (Pārvatī) and begins to enumerate the triad of Prabhāsa-kṣetra dūtīs; the setting evokes a sacred discourse overlooking the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Dūtī-traya (three dūtīs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are presented as living spiritual domains with divine attendants; learning their names and roles is part of tīrtha-vidyā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, introduced as having a triad of dūtīs (attendants/guardians).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Attentive listening (eka-manāḥ śravaṇa) to the teaching as a prerequisite for proper understanding and practice.