Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । भगवन्देवदेवेश संसारार्णवतारक । प्रभासे तु महाक्षेत्रे त्वदीयव्रतचारिणाम्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | bhagavandevadeveśa saṃsārārṇavatāraka | prabhāse tu mahākṣetre tvadīyavratacāriṇām

Translation

เทวีตรัสว่า: ข้าแต่ภควัน ผู้เป็นเทวเทพเจ้า ผู้ทรงพาสรรพสัตว์ข้ามห้วงมหรรณพแห่งสังสาระ ในปรภาสะ มหากษेत्रนั้น สำหรับผู้ประพฤติวรตะของพระองค์…

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कथनक्रिया

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘देवानां देवस्य ईशः’ (Lord of the god of gods / Lord of gods)

• संसारार्णवतारक: O savior from the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारार्णवतारक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + अर्णव + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘संसाररूप-अर्णवस्य तारकः’ (savior across the ocean of saṃsāra)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Locative singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे (but/indeed)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred place
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्’ (in the great sacred field)

• त्वदीयव्रतचारिणाम्: of those who observe your vow
• त्वदीयव्रतचारिणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वदीय + व्रत + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Genitive plural); ‘त्वदीयं व्रतं चरन्ति ये’ (of those who practice your vow)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Mahākṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī addresses Śiva with folded hands in a sacred Prabhāsa setting; the sea or tīrtha landscape suggests the ‘ocean of saṃsāra’ metaphor, while Śiva appears as the divine ferryman.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śiva
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge from saṃsāra is sought through devotion to Śiva, expressed through vrata and inquiry into sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa, explicitly called a mahā-kṣetra (great sacred region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata-caryā (observance of Śiva’s vows/discipline) is referenced, with details requested in the following verse.