Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मानवास्तत्र ये केचित्पुरराष्ट्रनि वासिनः । तत्रागता वरारोहे शिवरात्र्यामुपोषितुम्

Transliteration

mānavāstatra ye kecitpurarāṣṭrani vāsinaḥ | tatrāgatā varārohe śivarātryāmupoṣitum

Translation

โอ สตรีผู้มีสะโพกงาม ผู้คนทั้งหลายที่อาศัยอยู่ทั้งในเมืองและชนบท ณ ที่นั้น ต่างพากันมายังสถานที่นั้นเพื่อถืออุโบสถในคืนศิวราตรี

Word by Word

• मानवाः: people, men
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रयोगः (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम + निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनार्थे अनिश्चित-प्रयोगः (indefinite pronoun)

• पुर: in towns
• पुर: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; 'पुरराष्ट्रनि' इत्यत्र द्वन्द्व-समाहारस्य प्रथमाङ्गम्

• राष्ट्रनि: in regions/countries
• राष्ट्रनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; 'पुरराष्ट्रनि' इत्यत्र द्वन्द्व-समाहारस्य द्वितीयाङ्गम्

• वासिनः: residents
• वासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस् (धातु) → वासिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (णिनि/इन्-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'निवासी' अर्थे

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• आगताः: having come
• आगताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम् (मानवाः)

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped lady
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरा आरोहा यस्याः)

• शिवरात्र्याम्: on Śivarātri
• शिवरात्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• उपोषितुम्: to fast
• उपोषितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + वस् (धातु) → उपोषितुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक; उपवासं कर्तुम्

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya (deductively: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājñī (queen)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A broad procession of townspeople and villagers moving toward the sacred precinct for Śivarātri fasting—men, women, elders—carrying lamps, waterpots, bilva leaves, and simple offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Śivarātri
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and shared vrata-observance on Śivarātri are presented as a communal dharmic act that increases merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), a major Śaiva pilgrimage landscape in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) on Śivarātri.