Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अन्येषु सर्वतीर्थेषु वृद्धरूपी पितामहः । मुक्त्वा प्राभासिकं क्षेत्रं सदैव विबुधप्रिये

Transliteration

anyeṣu sarvatīrtheṣu vṛddharūpī pitāmahaḥ | muktvā prābhāsikaṃ kṣetraṃ sadaiva vibudhapriye

Translation

في سائر التيـرثات المقدّسة كلّها يظهر الجدّ الأعلى (براهما) في هيئة شيخٍ مسنّ؛ أمّا في الحقل المقدّس البرابهاسيكي فليس الأمر كذلك، يا حبيبَ الآلهة.

Word by Word

• अन्येषु: in other
• अन्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (locative plural: "in other")

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/holy places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ("all" qualifying "tīrthas")

• वृद्धरूपी: old-formed
• वृद्धरूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-भावार्थे): वृद्धरूपः ("in the form of an old man")

• पितामहः: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• मुक्त्वा: having left
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): "having left/abandoned"

• प्राभासिकम्: Prābhāsika
• प्राभासिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (accusative singular neuter)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb): "always"

• विबुधप्रिये: O beloved of the gods
• विबुधप्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: विबुधानां प्रिया ("dear to the gods")

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prābhāsika-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as vibudha-priyā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene contrast: in many tīrthas Brahmā appears as a venerable old grandsire; in Prabhāsa he is youthful/childlike. Devī (‘vibudha-priyā’) listens as Īśvara points to the contrast, with Prabhāsa shining brighter than the other depicted tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Devī (implied by vibudhapriye)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all tīrthas are described as equal in effect; Prabhāsa is praised as exceptionally transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, singled out as unique among all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an evaluative praise of Prabhāsa’s distinctive spiritual influence.