Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अस्मरन्मनसा देवं ब्रह्माणं पितरं स्वकम् । तेषां तु चिंतितं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मा गंगामथाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

asmaranmanasā devaṃ brahmāṇaṃ pitaraṃ svakam | teṣāṃ tu ciṃtitaṃ jñātvā brahmā gaṃgāmathābravīt

Translation

In ihrem Geist gedachten sie ihres eigenen Vaters, des Gottes Brahmā. Da Brahmā erkannte, was sie dachten, sprach er daraufhin zur heiligen Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• अस्मरन्: they remembered
• अस्मरन्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मनसा: with (their) mind
• मनसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वकम्: their own
• स्वकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); (देवं/ब्रह्माणं/पितरं विशेषयति)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• चिन्तितम्: (their) thought / what was thought
• चिन्तितम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चिन्त् + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गाम्: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Sequencing adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Dvārakā-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages sit in meditation, remembering Brahmā; above, Brahmā appears on a lotus, perceiving their thoughts, turning to address the personified Gaṅgā—depicted as a radiant river-goddess with flowing waters.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gaṅgā
• Brahmaputras (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine providence responds to sincere inner remembrance; the cosmos aligns to support dharmic intentions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though Gaṅgā is invoked, the narrative remains within Dvārakā-māhātmya, linking major sacred waters to Dvārakā’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a divine instruction involving Gaṅgā.