Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

प्राचीनेशात्परं तीर्थं वालखिल्येश्वरं महत् । तत्र तस्मान्महातीर्थात्तीर्थमन्यन्महो दयम्

Transliteration

prācīneśātparaṃ tīrthaṃ vālakhilyeśvaraṃ mahat | tatra tasmānmahātīrthāttīrthamanyanmaho dayam

Translation

پراچینیش کے پار ایک عظیم تیرتھ ہے جسے والکھلییشور کہا جاتا ہے۔ اس مہاتیرتھ سے آگے بھی ایک اور تیرتھ ہے جو نہایت عظیم اور مبارک ہے۔

Word by Word

• prācīneśāt: from Prācīneśa
• prācīneśāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācīna (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राचीनेश = ‘Prācīneśa’ नाम); पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• param: further/next
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — agreeing with tīrtham

• tīrtham: a sacred place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• vālakhilyeśvaram: Vālakhilyeśvara
• vālakhilyeśvaram: Samjñā (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vālakhilya (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — apposition/name of the tīrtha

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — agreeing with vālakhilyeśvaram

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• tasmāt: from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahā-tīrthāt: from the great sacred place
• mahā-tīrthāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘great tīrtha’); पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• tīrtham: a sacred place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• anyat: another
• anyat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — agreeing with tīrtham

• mahodayam: Mahodaya (name)
• mahodayam: Samjñā (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘great rising/auspicious’ as name); द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — apposition/name of tīrtham

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vālakhilyeśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim path beyond a shrine of Prācīneśa leading to a prominent Śiva-liṅga site named Vālakhilyeśvara; signposts of successive tīrthas, ascetics (vālakhilya-sages) implied by name.

Characters & Entities

• Prācīneśa/Prācīneśvara
• Vālakhilyeśvara
• Vālakhilyas (implied sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is mapped as a chain of increasingly beneficent tīrthas, encouraging systematic pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vālakhilyeśvara Tīrtha, situated beyond Prācīneśvara in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse primarily gives tīrtha-topography and praise.