Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि क्षेत्रगर्भं महोदयम् । तद्वस्त्रापथमाहात्म्यं यत्र रैवतको गिरिः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha te saṃpravakṣyāmi kṣetragarbhaṃ mahodayam | tadvastrāpathamāhātmyaṃ yatra raivatako giriḥ

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: บัดนี้เราจักกล่าวแก่ท่านโดยพิสดารถึง “ครรภ์แห่งเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์” อันลึกซึ้ง เป็นเรื่องใหญ่และเป็นมงคล คือมหาตมยะของวัสตราปถะ ที่ซึ่งภูเขาไรวตะกะตั้งอยู่

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/now-then particle)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (द्वितीयपुरुष-सम्बोधनार्थे दत्तिः)

• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain fully
• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• क्षेत्रगर्भम्: the inner essence of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रगर्भम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: क्षेत्र-गर्भः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘क्षेत्रस्य गर्भः/अन्तर्भागः’)

• महोदयम्: great, auspicious
• महोदयम्: Karma-vishesana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (क्षेत्रगर्भम् इति)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Vishesana (in compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• वस्त्रापथ: Vastrāpatha (place-name)
• वस्त्रापथ: Sambandha (in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद; समासः: वस्त्र-पथः (तत्पुरुष: ‘वस्त्रस्य पथः’/स्थाननाम)

• माहात्म्यम्: the glory of Vastrāpatha
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: तत्-वस्त्रापथ-माहात्म्यम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य वस्त्रापथस्य माहात्म्यम्’)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक/relative adverb)

• रैवतकः: Raivataka
• रैवतकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण गिरिः इति

• गिरिः: mountain
• गिरिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (with Raivataka-giri)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara speaks as a cosmic teacher, unveiling the ‘heart of the kṣetra’; in the background rises Raivataka mountain, with a sacred aura and pathways leading to shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Vastrāpatha
• Raivataka (mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have an inner sanctity (kṣetra-garbha) that is revealed through Purāṇic teaching, guiding devotees toward auspiciousness and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra, associated with the Raivataka mountain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces the forthcoming māhātmya narration.