Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रख्यातं भुवि देवेशि कलौ भूतेश्वरं स्मृतम् । पुरा द्वापरसंधौ च तत्र भूतानि कोटिशः

Transliteration

prakhyātaṃ bhuvi deveśi kalau bhūteśvaraṃ smṛtam | purā dvāparasaṃdhau ca tatra bhūtāni koṭiśaḥ

Translation

โอ้เทวีผู้เป็นนายแห่งเทพทั้งหลาย สถานนี้เลื่องลือไปทั่วแผ่นดิน ในกลียุคถูกระลึกนามว่า “ภูเตศวร” และในกาลโบราณ ณ รอยต่อแห่งทวาปรยุค มีหมู่ภูตนับโกฏิชุมนุมอยู่ที่นั่น

Word by Word

• प्रख्यातम्: well-known
• प्रख्यातम्: Pratipadya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + ख्या (धातु) → प्रख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय/विशेषण (नाम/लिङ्गम् implied)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• देवेशि: O mistress of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक) = देव + ईशी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानाम् ईशी)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• भूतेश्वरम्: (as) Bhūteśvara
• भूतेश्वरम्: Pratipadya (Predicate nominal/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = भूत + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/नाम), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भूतानाम् ईश्वरः)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (is remembered/called)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• द्वापरसन्धौ: at the Dvāpara junction
• द्वापरसन्धौ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापरसन्धि (प्रातिपदिक) = द्वापर + सन्धि
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वापरस्य सन्धिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भूतानि: beings; spirits
• भूतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• कोटिशः: in crores; by the crore
• कोटिशः: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शस् (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक; -शस् प्रत्ययार्थ)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhūteśvara (Kali-yuga name) / Bhūtanātheśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva shrine at dusk; innumerable bhūtas (Śiva-gaṇas) gather respectfully around the sanctum at a yuga-junction, some fierce, some benign; Śiva’s protective aura dominates, with Devī observing the marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūteśvara
• Kali Yuga
• Dvāpara-saṃdhi
• Bhūtas
• Devī (Deveśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s fame spans cosmic time; yuga transitions and divine assemblies mark the enduring sanctity of Śiva’s shrine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhūteśvara/Bhūtanātheśvara shrine in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse conveys the shrine’s yuga-name and a legendary gathering of bhūtas.