Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

देवि किं बहुनोक्तेन वर्णितेन पुनः पुनः । प्रभासक्षेत्रसारं तु मार्कण्डेयाश्रमं प्रति

Transliteration

devi kiṃ bahunoktena varṇitena punaḥ punaḥ | prabhāsakṣetrasāraṃ tu mārkaṇḍeyāśramaṃ prati

Translation

اے دیوی! بہت کچھ کہنے کا کیا فائدہ، جو بار بار بیان ہوچکا؟ پربھاس کھیتر کا جوہر تو مارکنڈےیہ کے آشرم کی سمت ہی میں ہے۔

Word by Word

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Vocative singular feminine

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter (interrogative)

• बहु: much; many
• बहु: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter (used adverbially: 'by much/many words')

• उक्तेन: by saying; by what has been said
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter; past passive participle used substantively ('by what is said')

• वर्णितेन: by describing; by what is described
• वर्णितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णित (कृदन्त; √वर्ण्/√वर्णय् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular neuter; past passive participle used substantively ('by what has been described')

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb (repetition for emphasis)

• प्रभासक्षेत्रसारम्: the essence of the Prabhāsa sacred field
• प्रभासक्षेत्रसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास-क्षेत्र-सार (प्रातिपदिक; प्रभास + क्षेत्र + सार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular neuter; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/सम्बन्ध-तत्पुरुष: 'प्रभासक्षेत्रस्य सारः'

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — Indeclinable particle (contrast/emphasis)

• मार्कण्डेयाश्रमम्: Mārkaṇḍeya’s hermitage
• मार्कण्डेयाश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय-आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक; मार्कण्डेय + आश्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular masculine; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'मार्कण्डेयस्य आश्रमः'

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana/Direction (देश/दिशा-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय, उपपद-प्रयोगः (द्वितीयासह) — Indeclinable preposition governing accusative; direction/towards

Speaker

Deductive: Narratorial voice addressing Devī (listener implied; immediately before the colophon and next chapter where Īśvara speaks)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍeya-āśrama / Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī is addressed as the speaker concludes: a path leading through coastal groves toward a tranquil hermitage of Mārkaṇḍeya; a liṅga shrine (Mārkaṇḍeyeśvara) stands near a sacred water source; pilgrims approach quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mārkaṇḍeyāśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among many praises, the Purāṇa points to a spiritual center: seek the ‘sāra’ (essence) through direct approach to the sanctified āśrama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mārkaṇḍeya’s āśrama within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as the core locus of sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied pilgrimage instruction: go toward/visit Mārkaṇḍeyāśrama as the kṣetra’s essence.