Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

प्रभासेति समाख्यातं तत्र क्षेमं मम प्रियम् । कूर्मस्य नैरृते भागे स्थितं वै दक्षिणे परे

Transliteration

prabhāseti samākhyātaṃ tatra kṣemaṃ mama priyam | kūrmasya nairṛte bhāge sthitaṃ vai dakṣiṇe pare

Translation

สถานนั้นเลื่องชื่อว่า ‘ประภาสะ’; ณ ที่นั้นเป็นที่ประทับอันเป็นที่รักของเรา อันเกื้อกูลสวัสดิมงคล ตั้งอยู่ทางทิศใต้ ในส่วนทิศตะวันตกเฉียงใต้แห่งผังศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ‘กูรมะ’

Word by Word

• प्रभास: Prabhāsa
• प्रभास: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (place-name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• समाख्यातम्: is named/called
• समाख्यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाख्यात (कृदन्त; सम्+√ख्या प्रख्याने)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); कर्मणि—‘is called’

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

• क्षेमम्: welfare; safety; auspiciousness
• क्षेमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रियम्: dear; beloved
• प्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेमम्)

• कूर्मस्य: of the tortoise (Kūrma)
• कूर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नैरृते: in the south-western
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरणे), एकवचन; दिशावाचक विशेषणम् (भागे)

• भागे: in the part/region
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरणे), एकवचन

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था गतिनिवृत्तौ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त); विशेषणम् (क्षेमम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• दक्षिणे: in the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक विशेषणम् (भागे)

• परे: further; outer
• परे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दक्षिणे/भागे)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced; describing Prabhāsa as his dear kṣema)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sacred field is named ‘Prabhāsa’ and shown as a luminous seat of welfare; a subtle cosmographic diagram (tortoise/kurma mandala) underlays the landscape, with the south-west quadrant highlighted.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Kūrma (sacred schema)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A kṣetra is both spiritual refuge (kṣema) and cosmically positioned—sacred space mirrors divine order and direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, explicitly named and praised as the Lord’s beloved auspicious seat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides sacred-identification and directional placement.