Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गर्भगृहं च गव्यूतिः कर्णिका सा मम प्रिया । क्षेत्रसीमा प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु देवि यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

garbhagṛhaṃ ca gavyūtiḥ karṇikā sā mama priyā | kṣetrasīmā pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu devi yathākramam

Translation

گربھ گِرہ کی پیمائش ایک گویوتی ہے؛ وہ ‘کرنِکا’ مجھے نہایت عزیز ہے۔ اب میں کشتَر کی حدیں بیان کرتا ہوں—اے دیوی، ترتیب سے سنو۔

Word by Word

• गर्भगृहम्: the sanctum
• गर्भगृहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ + गृह (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गर्भस्य गृहः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गव्यूतिः: a gavyūti (a distance measure)
• गव्यूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्यूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• कर्णिका: the central bud/knob; 'karṇikā'
• कर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (pronoun)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive singular (pronoun)

• प्रिया: dear; beloved
• प्रिया: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular; used predicatively

• क्षेत्रसीमा: the boundary of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रसीमा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + सीमा (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular; तत्पुरुष: 'क्षेत्रस्य सीमा'

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; vocative singular

• यथाक्रमम्: in due order
• यथाक्रमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (karṇikā/garbhagṛha core)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity (or sacred narrator) addresses Devī, indicating the ‘garbhagṛha’ and ‘karṇikā’ of Prabhāsa as a lotus-like center, while gesturing outward to describe the kṣetra’s boundary sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• garbhagṛha
• gavyūti
• karṇikā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The innermost sacred center (karṇikā/garbhagṛha) is especially beloved to the deity; approaching the core symbolizes approaching the heart of dharma and grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa, particularly its garbhagṛha/karṇikā (the central sanctified core).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it transitions into the formal listing of the kṣetra’s boundaries (sīmā), which guides correct pilgrimage practice.