Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके देव बालरूपी पितामहः । स कथं पूज्यते लोकैः परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्

Transliteration

kṣetre prābhāsike deva bālarūpī pitāmahaḥ | sa kathaṃ pūjyate lokaiḥ parabrahmasvarūpavān

Translation

يا ربّ، في البقعة المقدّسة برابهاسا، إنّ بيتامها (براهما) حاضرٌ في هيئة طفل. فكيف يعبده الناس، وهو الذي حقيقته هي البراهمان الأعلى؟

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• प्राभासिके: of Prabhāsa
• प्राभासिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रे’ इति विशेषण

• देव: O god (O Lord)
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• बालरूपी: having the form of a child
• बालरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल-रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘पितामहः’ इति विशेषण

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

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

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

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• लोकैः: by people
• लोकैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent in passive)

• परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्: possessing the nature/form of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-ब्रह्म-स्वरूप-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: पर + ब्रह्म + स्वरूप + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘सः/पितामहः’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Bāla-Pitāmaha/Brahmā presence)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara/Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks about worship in Prabhāsa where Pitāmaha appears as a child, yet is of the nature of Supreme Brahman; the scene invites depiction of a child-Brahmā icon in a coastal shrine setting.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Bālarūpa (child-form)
• Para Brahman
• Deva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can be approached through approachable sacred forms; Devī asks how transcendent Brahman is honored via Brahmā’s icon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prābhāsika kṣetra), highlighting Brahmā’s presence there in a distinctive child-form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No steps are given yet; the verse is an inquiry about the correct method of worship.