Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पितामहमहत्त्वं स्यात्तथा शीघ्रं विधीयताम् । ब्रह्मणो वचनं श्रुत्वा विष्णुना स प्रमोदितः

Transliteration

pitāmahamahattvaṃ syāttathā śīghraṃ vidhīyatām | brahmaṇo vacanaṃ śrutvā viṣṇunā sa pramoditaḥ

Translation

„Möge die Größe und das Amt des ‘Pitāmaha’ begründet werden—und zwar rasch.“ Als er Brahmās Worte hörte, wurde er von Viṣṇu erfreut.

Word by Word

• पितामहमहत्त्वम्: the greatness/status of Pitāmaha
• पितामहमहत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितामहस्य महत्त्वम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: may it be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तथा: thus, accordingly
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् (quickly)

• विधीयताम्: let it be done/ordained
• विधीयताम्: Kriyā (Injunctive/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive); आत्मनेपद

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वचनम्: the statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karta/Agent (in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रमोदितः: delighted, gladdened
• प्रमोदितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + मुद् (धातु) → प्रमोदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सः इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (describing response involving Viṣṇu; exact ‘he’ context continues from surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moment of affirmation: the ‘Pitāmaha’ greatness is to be established swiftly; Viṣṇu’s presence brings joy/approval to the addressed figure.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Pitāmaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic titles and authority are not self-assumed; they are ‘ordained’ within divine order and affirmed by higher harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra (Prabhāsa) remains the māhātmya setting; the theological narrative magnifies the sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.