Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । कथयामि महादेवि सावित्र्याश्चरितं महत् । प्रभासक्षेत्रसंस्थायाः स्थल स्थाने महेश्वरि । यथा चीर्णं व्रतकरं सावित्र्या राजकन्यया

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | kathayāmi mahādevi sāvitryāścaritaṃ mahat | prabhāsakṣetrasaṃsthāyāḥ sthala sthāne maheśvari | yathā cīrṇaṃ vratakaraṃ sāvitryā rājakanyayā

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: “โอ มหาเทวี เราจักเล่าเรื่องจริยาวัตรอันยิ่งใหญ่ของพระสาวิตรี ว่า ณ ประภาสเกษตร ในสถานที่ศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น โอ มเหศวรี พระสาวิตรีราชกุมารีได้ถือวรตะโดยครบถ้วนตามพิธี”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथयामि: I narrate / will tell
• कथयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती देवी)

• सावित्र्याः: of Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चरितम्: deeds/story
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (चरितम्)

• प्रभास-क्षेत्र-संस्थायाः: of (her) who is established in the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभास-क्षेत्र-संस्थायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रभासक्षेत्रे संस्था यस्याः/यत्र)

• स्थल: place/site
• स्थल: Adhikarana (Location—part of phrase/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र—पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगे ‘स्थल-स्थाने’ इत्यस्य पूर्वपदम्

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरि: O great lady (Maheśvarī)
• महेश्वरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महती ईश्वरी)

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Discourse marker (प्रकार/यथार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (adverb/conjunction)

• चीर्णम्: performed/observed
• चीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) → चीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (व्रतकरम्/व्रतम्—अर्थतः)

• व्रत-करम्: vow-observance / the act of performing the vow
• व्रत-करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (व्रतं करोति इति)

• सावित्र्या: by Sāvitrī
• सावित्र्या: Kartr (Agent in passive/Instrumental agent/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राज-कन्यया: by the king’s daughter
• राज-कन्यया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्ञः कन्या)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāvitrī-sthala at Prabhāsa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī/Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins narration to Devī, gesturing toward a marked sacred spot within Prabhāsa; the scene blends divine discourse with a map-like sense of place (sthala within kṣetra).

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Sāvitrī
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places amplify sacred practice: a vow performed in a tīrtha like Prabhāsa bears renowned fruit and becomes exemplary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, specifically a revered ‘sthala-sthāna’ within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The performance (caryā) of a vrata by Sāvitrī; the exact rite is implied and elaborated later.