Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स ज्यायानितरो हीनो ह्येतदुक्तं पिनाकिना । प्रस्थितोऽहं ततश्चोर्द्ध्वमधोमार्गं गतो हरिः

Transliteration

sa jyāyānitaro hīno hyetaduktaṃ pinākinā | prasthito'haṃ tataścorddhvamadhomārgaṃ gato hariḥ

Translation

‘একজন শ্রেষ্ঠ, অন্যজন হীন’—এ কথা পিনাকধারী শিব বললেন। তারপর আমি ঊর্ধ্বদিকে যাত্রা করলাম, আর হরি (বিষ্ণু) অধোমার্গে গেলেন।

Word by Word

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

• ज्यायान्: greater, superior
• ज्यायान्: Predicate complement (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्यायस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative of ‘great’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (predicative)

• इतरः: the other
• इतरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हीनः: inferior
• हीनः: Predicate complement (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (predicative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘एतद्’ (this)

• उक्तम्: was said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Reported statement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (said/declared)

• पिनाकिना: by Pinākin (Śiva)
• पिनाकिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रस्थितः: set out
• प्रस्थितः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) → प्रस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (set out)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla (Time adverbial/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (then)

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Gati (Direction/गतिः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (directional adverb: upward)

• अधोमार्गम्: the downward path
• अधोमार्गम्: Karma (Object/Path/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधः + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुषसन्निभः (अधः-मार्गः ‘downward path’)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (went)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anādi-Ananta Liṅga (conceptual tīrtha within narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s decree hangs in the air; Brahmā ascends skyward, Viṣṇu descends into nether realms—both dwarfed by the endless liṅga-pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Śiva (Pinākin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods undertake quests that ultimately reveal the limits of pride and the boundlessness of the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting frames the sanctity of the region through Śiva’s liṅga-mystery; this verse itself is mythic narration rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the directions taken by Brahmā and Viṣṇu.