Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तिष्ठते कल्पसंस्था वै तत्र कल्पांतवासिनः । तत्र स्थाने स्थितो देवि बालरूपी पितामहः

Transliteration

tiṣṭhate kalpasaṃsthā vai tatra kalpāṃtavāsinaḥ | tatra sthāne sthito devi bālarūpī pitāmahaḥ

Translation

«إنه قائمٌ طوال مدة كَلْبَةٍ واحدة؛ وفيه يقيم من يلبثون إلى نهاية الكَلْبَة. وفي ذلك الموضع، يا ديفي، يمكث بيتامها (براهما) في هيئة صبيّ.»

Word by Word

• तिष्ठते: stands; remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपद

• कल्पसंस्थाः: those established for (the duration of) a kalpa
• कल्पसंस्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प- + संस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

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

• कल्पान्तवासिनः: dwellers until the end of the kalpa
• कल्पान्तवासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पान्त- + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

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

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• स्थितः: standing; situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

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

• बालरूपी: having the form of a child
• बालरूपी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल- + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmā-sthāna (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sanctuary that lasts for an aeon; subtle, otherworldly beings dwell there until kalpa’s end; Brahmā is seen seated or playing as a child within the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Somanātha (implied context)
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are portrayed as timeless supports of dharma, and divinity may be encountered in unexpected forms (here, Brahmā as a child).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmā’s station in Prabhāsa Kṣetra (near Somanātha, as specified in the preceding verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse conveys the form (bālarūpa) in which Brahmā is to be contemplated at that place.