Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स चैवं नवधा भिन्नः पुरभेदेन सुंदरि । तस्य यो नवमो भागः सागरस्य च सन्निधौ

Transliteration

sa caivaṃ navadhā bhinnaḥ purabhedena suṃdari | tasya yo navamo bhāgaḥ sāgarasya ca sannidhau

Translation

และข้าแต่นางผู้เลอโฉม พื้นที่ศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้นถูกแบ่งออกเป็นเก้าส่วนตามความแตกต่างแห่งนครและถิ่นฐาน ส่วนที่เก้านั้นอยู่ใกล้ชิดมหาสมุทรยิ่งนัก

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति/प्रकार-अव्ययम् (adverb of manner)

• नवधा: in nine parts/ways
• नवधा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नवधा (अव्यय; नव + धा)
• Form: संख्याप्रकार-अव्ययम् (distributive adverb: ‘in nine ways’)

• भिन्नः: divided
• भिन्नः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• पुरभेदेन: by the division of the city/settlement
• पुरभेदेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरभेद (प्रातिपदिक; पुर + भेद)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative: ‘city-division’), पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful lady
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of it/of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• नवमः: ninth
• नवमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक; क्रमवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• भागः: portion/part
• भागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सागरस्य: of the ocean/sea
• सागरस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• सन्निधौ: in the vicinity/presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (navadhā-vibhāga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like panorama of Prabhāsa showing nine distinct sectors marked by towns/settlements, with the ninth sector touching the ocean, waves curling at its edge.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is carefully delimited and mapped; knowing the kṣetra’s structure supports intentional pilgrimage and focused devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, especially its ocean-adjacent (sāgara-sannidhi) portion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse is descriptive of kṣetra-division.