Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तद्रूपं मम देवेशि प्रत्यक्षं धरणीतले प्रत्यक्षं ब्राह्मणा देवाः परोक्षं दिवि देवताः

Transliteration

tadrūpaṃ mama deveśi pratyakṣaṃ dharaṇītale pratyakṣaṃ brāhmaṇā devāḥ parokṣaṃ divi devatāḥ

Translation

O Deveśī, eben diese Gestalt von mir ist auf Erden sichtbar: Die Brāhmaṇas sind die offenbaren Götter; die Gottheiten im Himmel werden nur mittelbar wahrgenommen.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘तद्रूपम्’ इति समासपूर्वपद

• रूपम्: form, manifestation
• रूपम्: Karta/Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• देवेशि: O goddess-lord (O Deveśī)
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly perceptible
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धरण्याः तलम्)

• प्रत्यक्षम्: manifestly, directly
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial use)

• ब्राह्मणाः: brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवाः: (are) gods
• देवाः: Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• परोक्षम्: indirectly, not directly seen
• परोक्षम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative)

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity (Īśvara speaking to Deveśī) indicates that on earth the Brāhmaṇas are the manifest gods; the celestial devas remain unseen in the sky. The scene contrasts earthly assembly of dvijas with distant luminous devas above.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Brāhmaṇas
• Devas (in heaven)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes serving the ‘visible divine’—living embodiments of sacred order—over distant, unseen ideals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the presence of holy persons is framed as direct access to divinity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring Brāhmaṇas as pratyakṣa-devatā (manifest divinity) is a superior mode of worship.