Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मलोकमनुप्राप्ता देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः । दृष्ट्वा पद्मोद्भवं देवं साष्टाङ्गं प्रणताः सुराः

Transliteration

brahmalokamanuprāptā devāḥ śakrapurogamāḥ | dṛṣṭvā padmodbhavaṃ devaṃ sāṣṭāṅgaṃ praṇatāḥ surāḥ

Translation

Die Götter, angeführt von Indra, erreichten Brahmaloka; und als sie den aus dem Lotos geborenen Herrn (Brahmā) sahen, verneigten sich die Devas in voller Prostration.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मलोकम्: to Brahmā’s world (Brahmaloka)
• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (destination)

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having arrived
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-प्र-आप् (धातु) + प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having reached’

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शक्रपुरोगमाः: led by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रपुरोगमाः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र-पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक; शक्र + पुरोगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifies देवाः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• पद्मोद्भवम्: lotus-born
• पद्मोद्भवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; पद्म + उद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies देवं)

• देवम्: the god (Brahmā)
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• साष्टाङ्गम्: with eight-limbed (full) prostration
• साष्टाङ्गम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-अष्ट-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; सह + अष्ट + अङ्ग)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial): ‘with eight limbs’ (i.e., full prostration)

• प्रणताः: bowed down
• प्रणताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + प्रणत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘having bowed’

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; देवाः इत्यस्य पुनरुक्त-सम्बोधन/निर्देश (appositional)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra-led devas enter Brahmā’s radiant hall; Brahmā seated on a lotus-throne; devas perform full prostration with hands extended, crowns touching the ground.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• Indra (Śakra)
• Brahmā (Padmodbhava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to higher wisdom and cosmic authority is presented as the proper first step before seeking solutions to संकट (crisis).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmaloka is a cosmic realm rather than a terrestrial tīrtha; this verse does not praise a specific pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act implied is sāṣṭāṅga-praṇāma (full prostration), a devotional etiquette rather than a formal vrata.