Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

प्रभासादधिकं क्षेत्रं यदा वस्त्रापथं भवेत् । भविष्यति तदा वृद्धिर्ध्रुवमण्डलव्यापिनी । तथा वस्त्रापथं क्षेत्रं भविष्यति यवाधिकम्

Transliteration

prabhāsādadhikaṃ kṣetraṃ yadā vastrāpathaṃ bhavet | bhaviṣyati tadā vṛddhirdhruvamaṇḍalavyāpinī | tathā vastrāpathaṃ kṣetraṃ bhaviṣyati yavādhikam

Translation

เมื่อใดวัสตราปถะจักเป็นเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์ยิ่งกว่าประภาสะ เมื่อนั้นความรุ่งเรืองของมันจักเพิ่มพูนแน่นอน แผ่ซ่านไปทั่วทั้งมณฑลฟ้า ดังนี้เขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์วัสตราปถะจักยิ่งทวีความอุดมและเด่นดังกว่าเดิม

Word by Word

• प्रभासात्: than Prabhāsa / from Prabhāsa
• प्रभासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular)

• अधिकम्: greater/more
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तुलनार्थ (comparative sense: 'more')

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal conjunction/adverb)

• वस्त्रापथम्: Vastrāpatha (place-name)
• वस्त्रापथम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom/Acc, Singular); स्थाननाम (toponym)

• भवेत्: should be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Future, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• वृद्धिः: increase/growth
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• ध्रुव-मण्डल-व्यापिनी: pervading the Dhruva-sphere (polar region)
• ध्रुव-मण्डल-व्यापिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास ('pervading the fixed/polar sphere')

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (manner adverb)

• वस्त्रापथम्: Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom/Acc, Singular); स्थाननाम

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Future, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• यव-अधिकम्: by (the measure of) a barley-corn more
• यव-अधिकम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Measure adjunct)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष ('greater by a barley-corn measure')

Speaker

Narrative voice within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (prophetic praise of the site)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Vastrāpatha radiates light that rises beyond Prabhāsa, streaming upward to the starry polar region, as if the kṣetra’s fame becomes a luminous band across the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Vastrāpatha Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity can expand through dharma, devotion, and divine presence, becoming renowned across the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra, praised as surpassing even Prabhāsa in sacred potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse functions as a māhātmya proclamation of the site’s growing spiritual fame.