Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

स ज्ञात्वा कामिकं क्षेत्रं प्रतिष्ठाप्य महेश्वरम् । तपश्चचार विपुलं दिव्यं वर्षशतं प्रिये । ध्यायन्देवं महादेवं शान्तस्तद्गतमानसः

Transliteration

sa jñātvā kāmikaṃ kṣetraṃ pratiṣṭhāpya maheśvaram | tapaścacāra vipulaṃ divyaṃ varṣaśataṃ priye | dhyāyandevaṃ mahādevaṃ śāntastadgatamānasaḥ

Translation

ครั้นรู้ว่าเกษตรนี้เป็นแดนบันดาลความปรารถนา เขาจึงสถาปนา “มเหศวร” (ลึงคะ) แล้วบำเพ็ญตบะอันไพศาลตลอดร้อยปีทิพย์ โอ้ที่รัก—เพ่งฌานแด่มหาเทพ ด้วยใจสงบ และจิตแนบแน่นอยู่ในพระองค์

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• कामिकम्: desired/pleasing
• कामिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (gerund), हेतुपूर्वक/पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; causative sense ‘to install/establish’

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तपस्’ शब्दस्य रूपम्

• चचार: performed/practised
• चचार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तपः)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तपः)

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: वर्ष (year) + शत (hundred)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical compound)

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva
• महादेवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• शान्तः: calm, pacified
• शान्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; √शम् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of सः)

• तद्गतमानसः: whose mind was fixed on him/that
• तद्गतमानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् + गत + मानस (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: तद् (that) + गत (gone/placed) + मानस (mind)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘तस्मिन् गतं मानसं यस्य’ (mind fixed on that)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī addressed as priye

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Prabhāsa shore or sacred grove, Pratyūṣa installs a liṅga (Maheśvara) on a pedestal; then sits in deep meditation for ‘a hundred divine years’, surrounded by stillness—only waves, wind, and a faint aura around the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Pratyūṣa
• Śiva (Maheśvara/Mahādeva)
• Pārvatī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a sacred kṣetra, devotion expressed through consecration, austerity, and meditation ripens into divine response and fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised as kāmika—capable of granting rightful desires when approached with tapas and bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-pratiṣṭhā (establishing Śiva) and sustained tapas/dhyāna are described as the spiritual disciplines undertaken.