Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्दशविद्यास्थानानि ब्रह्मणोऽग्रे प्रपूजयेत् । हृदयानि ततो न्यस्य देवस्य पुरतः क्रमात्

Transliteration

caturddaśavidyāsthānāni brahmaṇo'gre prapūjayet | hṛdayāni tato nyasya devasya purataḥ kramāt

Translation

Zuerst soll er vor Brahmā die vierzehn Sitze des Wissens verehren; dann soll er die „Herz“-Formeln (hṛdaya) der rechten Ordnung gemäß niederlegen und sie vor der Gottheit aufstellen.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश-विद्या-स्थानानि: the fourteen seats/branches of learning
• चतुर्दश-विद्या-स्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष) ‘विद्यायाः स्थानानि’ विशेषितं ‘चतुर्दश’ (fourteen)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā/Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ब्रह्मन्), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (locative sense) = ‘पुरतः/समक्षम्’ (in front of)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हृदयानि: the (mantra-)hearts/heart-formulas
• हृदयानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• न्यस्य: having placed/installed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘न्यस्य’ = स्थापयित्वा/विन्यस्य (having placed)

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरतः: before/in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/postposition) = समक्षम् (in front of)

• क्रमात्: in order
• क्रमात्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (instrumental-ablative sense) = क्रमशः/अनुक्रमेण (in sequence)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In front of Brahmā’s symbolic seat, fourteen ‘knowledge-seats’ are honored—represented by manuscripts, tools of learning, and garlands—then the worshipper performs hṛdaya-nyāsa, placing mantra-forms in sequence before the main deity in the sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and mantra-discipline are sanctified when offered to the divine—knowledge becomes worship through devotion and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Brahmā-pūjā is taught with vidyā and nyāsa elements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the fourteen domains of knowledge before Brahmā and then perform ordered nyāsa of the heart-formulas before the deity.