Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मलोकमहं नीतो मुनिभिस्तात सप्तभिः । उक्तोऽयं ब्रह्मणा कल्पस्यादौ चान्ते च मे सखा

Transliteration

brahmalokamahaṃ nīto munibhistāta saptabhiḥ | ukto'yaṃ brahmaṇā kalpasyādau cānte ca me sakhā

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Vater, sieben Munis führten mich in die Welt Brahmās (Brahmaloka). Brahmā verkündete: ‚Dieser wird mein Freund sein, am Anfang und am Ende des Kalpa.‘“

Word by Word

• brahmalokam: to Brahmaloka
• brahmalokam: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ lokaḥ)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nītaḥ: was led
• nītaḥ: Karta-visheshaṇa (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīta (कृदन्त; √nī)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• munibhiḥ: by sages
• munibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• tāta: dear father; dear one
• tāta: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• saptabhiḥ: by seven
• saptabhiḥ: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier of munibhiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• uktaḥ: was told/said
• uktaḥ: Karta-visheshaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त; √vac)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• ayam: this (statement)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• kalpasya: of the kalpa
• kalpasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ādau: at the beginning
• ādau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• ante: at the end
• ante: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sakhā: friend
• sakhā: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mṛkaṇḍu (father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seven sages escort the youthful Mārkaṇḍeya through a luminous corridor of clouds to Brahmā’s lotus-throne in Brahmaloka; Brahmā pronounces a kalpa-spanning friendship boon.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Brahmā
• Brahmaloka
• Seven sages

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with sages and divine vision elevates one’s destiny; cosmic time is framed through dharmic companionship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, linking sacred place-tradition with revelations about sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates a divine declaration received in Brahmaloka.