Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । अथ पूजाविधानं ते कथयामि समासतः । भक्तिभेदान्पृथक्तस्य ब्रह्मणो बालरूपिणः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | atha pūjāvidhānaṃ te kathayāmi samāsataḥ | bhaktibhedānpṛthaktasya brahmaṇo bālarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Nun will ich dir kurz die Ordnung der Verehrung darlegen—zusammen mit den unterschiedlichen Weisen der Hingabe—jenes Brahman, das von allem abgesondert ist und in der Gestalt eines göttlichen Kindes verehrt wird.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• अथ: then; now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• पूजाविधानम्: the procedure of worship
• पूजाविधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (पूजायाः विधानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन (dative singular: ‘to you’)

• कथयामि: I tell; I explain
• कथयामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present, 1st person singular)

• समासतः: briefly; in summary
• समासतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समासतः (अव्यय; समास (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: ‘briefly/in summary’)

• भक्तिभेदान्: the divisions/types of devotion
• भक्तिभेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (भक्तेः भेदाः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (masculine accusative plural)

• पृथक्: separately; distinctly
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/भेदवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘separately/distinctly’)

• तस्य: of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (neuter genitive singular)

• बालरूपिणः: of the one having a child-form
• बालरूपिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (बालरूपः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (masculine genitive singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara as teacher addressing a listener, introducing pūjā-vidhi for a radiant divine Child-form of Brahman; didactic, temple-courtyard ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Brahman (as Bālarūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship begins with understanding devotion (bhakti) in its distinct forms, directed to the transcendent Brahman approachable even as a child-form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A concise introduction to pūjā-vidhāna (worship procedure) and bhakti-bheda (categories of devotion) is announced; details follow in subsequent verses.