Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

सुराष्ट्रदेशं विख्यातं क्षेत्रं वस्त्रापथं नृप । तस्य दक्षिणदिग्भागे बलेः सिद्धं महापुरम्

Transliteration

surāṣṭradeśaṃ vikhyātaṃ kṣetraṃ vastrāpathaṃ nṛpa | tasya dakṣiṇadigbhāge baleḥ siddhaṃ mahāpuram

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช ในแคว้นสุราษฏระอันเลื่องชื่อ มีเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์นามวัสตราปถะอันโด่งดัง และในทิศใต้ของเขตนั้น มีมหาปุระของพญาพลีอันสำเร็จมั่นคงตั้งอยู่

Word by Word

• सुराष्ट्रदेशम्: the Surāṣṭra country
• सुराष्ट्रदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराष्ट्र + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुराष्ट्रस्य देशः)

• विख्यातम्: renowned
• विख्यातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देशम्/क्षेत्रम् इति)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वस्त्रापथम्: Vastrāpatha (place-name)
• वस्त्रापथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्त्राणां पथः/वस्त्रापथ-नाम)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it / of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दक्षिणदिग्भागे: in the southern part/direction
• दक्षिणदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दक्षिणायाः दिशः भागः)

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• सिद्धम्: established, accomplished
• सिद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महापुरम् इति)

• महापुरम्: a great city
• महापुरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महत् पुरम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced) addressing a king within the narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator points out a map-like vista: the famed Surāṣṭra land, the kṣetra named Vastrāpatha, and to its south the imposing, perfected city of Bali.

Characters & Entities

• Surāṣṭra
• Vastrāpatha
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (tīrthayātrā) is grounded in sacred geography—knowing the kṣetra and its legendary anchors strengthens śraddhā and dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Surāṣṭra is identified, with a notable landmark: Bali’s great city to its south.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse primarily situates the kṣetra and a key associated city.