Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तत्रतत्र चतुर्वक्त्रा ब्रह्माणो हरयो भवाः । सृष्टाः प्रधानेन तदा लब्धा शंभोस्तु संनिधिः

Transliteration

tatratatra caturvaktrā brahmāṇo harayo bhavāḥ | sṛṣṭāḥ pradhānena tadā labdhā śaṃbhostu saṃnidhiḥ

Translation

Dort und dort werden durch Pradhāna (die uranfängliche Natur) viergesichtige Brahmās, Haris (Viṣṇus) und Bhavas (Rudras) hervorgebracht; doch in jedem solchen Bereich wird die Nähe Śambhus erlangt, als innewohnende Gegenwart.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• तत्र: in each place
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (tatra tatra = in each place)

• चतुर्वक्त्राः: four-faced
• चतुर्वक्त्राः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + वक्त्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘येषां चत्वारि वक्त्राणि ते’; विशेषण (ब्रह्माणः)

• ब्रह्माणः: Brahmās
• ब्रह्माणः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• हरयः: Viṣṇus
• हरयः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• भवाः: Bhavas (Śivas)
• भवाः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (शिव-रूपाः/भव-नामकाः)

• सृष्टाः: were created
• सृष्टाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु) → सृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण (predicate participle)

• प्रधानेन: by Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• लब्धाः: obtained/attained
• लब्धाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृसमानाधिकरण (they obtained)

• शंभोः: of Śambhu
• शंभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक अव्यय (indeed/but)

• संनिधिः: presence, proximity
• संनिधिः: Kartr (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विधेय (presence as result)

Speaker

Śiva (Maheśvara) speaking to Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Multiple world-spheres each with a four-faced Brahmā, a Viṣṇu, and a Rudra; a subtle luminous thread of Śambhu’s presence connects and pervades them all.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Rudra/Bhava
• Śambhu
• Pradhāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even where cosmic offices (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra) arise through nature, Śiva remains the intimate, attainable presence behind all manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, as the Māhātmya’s stage for asserting Śambhu’s omnipresence and supremacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports theological grounding for pilgrimage devotion.