Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सहस्रसंख्यया तत्र कुण्डानां मंडपावधि । तत्र ते ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे प्रतिष्ठायज्ञकोविदाः

Transliteration

sahasrasaṃkhyayā tatra kuṇḍānāṃ maṃḍapāvadhi | tatra te brāhmaṇāḥ sarve pratiṣṭhāyajñakovidāḥ

Translation

其处火坛（kuṇḍa）以千计，遍满诸坛亭；而诸婆罗门皆善于安置奉献之礼（pratiṣṭhā）与祭祀（yajña），亦在彼处齐集。

Word by Word

• सहस्रसंख्यया: by the number of a thousand
• सहस्रसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/साधन), एकवचन; सहस्रस्य संख्या इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Instrumental singular (by/with a count of a thousand)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कुण्डानाम्: of the fire-pits
• कुण्डानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• मण्डपावधि: up to the pavilion (as the limit)
• मण्डपावधि: Adhikarana (Limit/अधिकरण-सीमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मण्डप + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; मण्डपं अवधिः यस्य/यावत्—‘up to the pavilion’; indeclinable (limit-marker)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun; Nominative plural (they/those)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (brāhmaṇāḥ इति विशेष्यस्य)

• प्रतिष्ठायज्ञकोविदाः: skilled in the consecration-sacrifice
• प्रतिष्ठायज्ञकोविदाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिष्ठा + यज्ञ + कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘प्रतिष्ठायज्ञे कोविदाः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (or कर्मधारय-भावः); adjective qualifying brāhmaṇāḥ

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sea of fire-altars—rows upon rows—each within pavilions; groups of brāhmaṇas arrive and take their assigned places, carrying kuśa, ladles, and ritual vessels, faces composed and focused.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred power is sustained by learned custodians of ritual—knowledge and discipline make worship effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, depicted as a vast ritual landscape filled with consecrated fire-altars.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The presence and use of numerous kuṇḍas and the involvement of experts in pratiṣṭhā (consecration) and yajña.