Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

स कथं पञ्चतां प्राप प्रभासे पार्वतीपते । यः पुराणे पुराणात्मा वाराहं वपुरास्थितः

Transliteration

sa kathaṃ pañcatāṃ prāpa prabhāse pārvatīpate | yaḥ purāṇe purāṇātmā vārāhaṃ vapurāsthitaḥ

Translation

噢，帕尔瓦蒂之主！他怎会在普拉婆娑达到“五大之境”（归于五元素、示现寂灭）——那在诸《往世书》中所称的古老自性，曾住于野猪化身（婆罗诃）之身者？

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• पञ्चताम्: the state of death (becoming the five elements)
• पञ्चताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पञ्चत्व’ = मरण/पञ्चभूतत्व-प्राप्ति

• प्राप: attained
• प्राप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पार्वतीपते: O lord of Pārvatī
• पार्वतीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्वत्याः पतिः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुराणात्मा: the ancient-souled one
• पुराणात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पुराणः आत्मा यस्य/पुराणस्वरूप आत्मा)

• वाराहम्: boar-like
• वाराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वपुः इति)

• वपुः: body, form
• वपुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थितः: having assumed / having taken (a form)
• आस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-भावः

Speaker

Unspecified (questioner addressing Śiva as ‘Pārvatīpati’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis; addressed vocatively to Pārvatīpati within the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee addresses ‘Pārvatīpati’ (Śiva) while speaking of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa: how could the ancient Self reach pañcatā at Prabhāsa, he who once bore Varāha form? The scene can juxtapose Śiva as witness and the memory of Varāha lifting earth.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Pārvatīpati)
• Hari/Viṣṇu (implied)
• Varāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avatāra deeds proclaim the Lord’s transcendence; the ‘death at Prabhāsa’ motif functions to magnify Prabhāsa’s sanctity and the mystery of divine play.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place so potent that even cosmic narratives are anchored to it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is part of a theological inquiry.