Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मिताः सर्वे ब्रह्मपुत्राः परस्परम् । वीक्षमाणा भगवतः परमायुधमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitāḥ sarve brahmaputrāḥ parasparam | vīkṣamāṇā bhagavataḥ paramāyudhamuttamam

Translation

Als sie es sahen, gerieten alle Söhne Brahmās in Staunen und blickten einander an, während sie die höchste und vortrefflichste Waffe des Herrn schauten.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that (object)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having seen’

• विस्मिताः: astonished
• विस्मिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vismita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √smi/vismi)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मपुत्राः: sons of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मपुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः पुत्राः)

• परस्परम्: mutually, to one another
• परस्परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-भावे (reciprocally)

• वीक्षमाणाः: looking at
• वीक्षमाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), परस्मैपदी-प्रयोग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘while looking’

• भगवतः: of the Lord
• भगवतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• परम: supreme
• परम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आयुधम्: weapon
• आयुधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Dvārakā-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā kṣetra (Sudarśana-darśana context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A semicircle of Brahmā’s sons stand or sit on the shore, faces lit by the chakra’s blaze, exchanging astonished glances while keeping their gaze fixed on the supreme weapon.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaputras (sons of Brahmā)
• Bhagavān
• Sudarśana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True darśana evokes humility and wonder; even great sages recognize the Lord’s supremacy through His divine powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sanctity is highlighted as a place where sages directly witness the Lord’s transcendent signs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse depicts the proper inner response—reverent astonishment—before divinity.