Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ततस्ते विबुधाः सर्वे तस्य वाक्येन हर्षिताः । प्रविष्टा गह्वरां कुक्षिं तस्यैव भय वर्ज्जिताः

Transliteration

tataste vibudhāḥ sarve tasya vākyena harṣitāḥ | praviṣṭā gahvarāṃ kukṣiṃ tasyaiva bhaya varjjitāḥ

Translation

تب اُس کے کلام سے مسرور ہو کر وہ سب دیوتا بے خوف ہو گئے اور اُس کے غار جیسے گہرے پیٹ میں داخل ہو گئے۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/अनन्तर) = indeclinable adverb ‘thereupon’

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural pronoun

• vibudhāḥ: the gods, wise ones
• vibudhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural; विशेषणम् (vibudhāḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन = Genitive singular pronoun

• vākyena: by (his) words
• vākyena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन = Neuter, Instrumental singular

• harṣitāḥ: delighted
• harṣitāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: harṣita (कृदन्त/क्त-प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ हृष् ‘to rejoice’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• praviṣṭāḥ: having entered
• praviṣṭāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-viṣṭa (कृदन्त/क्त-प्रातिपदिक; pra-√viś विश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त (entered)

• gahvarām: deep, cavernous
• gahvarām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahvarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Feminine, Accusative singular; विशेषणम् (kukṣiṃ)

• kukṣim: belly, womb
• kukṣim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Masculine, Accusative singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन = Genitive singular pronoun

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) = emphatic particle ‘indeed/just’

• bhaya: fear
• bhaya: Karma (Object with participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = Neuter, Accusative singular; उपपद-सम्बन्धे (varjjitāḥ सह)

• varjjitāḥ: free from, devoid of
• varjjitāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varjjita (कृदन्त/क्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛj/√varj वर्ज् ‘to avoid’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन = Masculine, Nominative plural; भूतकृदन्त; ‘भय-वर्जिताः’ = fear-free

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating after Samudra’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-group (typical frame; not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of devas, radiant yet relieved, enter a vast cavern-like interior (symbolic ‘belly’/guhā) after hearing a powerful assurance; the mood is protective and wondrous, with darkness turned safe by divine glow.

Characters & Entities

• Vibudhāḥ (Devas)
• Samudra/Sāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refuge granted by a protector removes fear; protection is portrayed as a stabilizing dharmic force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya continues to glorify the region by linking its sacred narrative to the ocean’s protective role.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the devas’ acceptance of refuge and the resulting freedom from fear.