Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मूलं सुराणां हि किल ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । तेन संस्थापितं यस्मान्मूल स्थानमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

mūlaṃ surāṇāṃ hi kila brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | tena saṃsthāpitaṃ yasmānmūla sthānamiti smṛtam

Translation

Indeed, Brahmā—the Grandfather of the worlds—is said to be the very root of the gods. And because it was established by him, it is remembered as ‘Mūlasthāna’, the Root-abode.

Word by Word

• मूलम्: root; origin
• मूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/बलार्थ

• किल: it is said; indeed
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ/श्रुत्यर्थ

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लोकपितामहः: grandfather of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य पितामहः)

• तेन: by him; by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• संस्थापितम्: established; founded
• संस्थापितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यस्मात्: from which; because of which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• मूल: root; original
• मूल: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• स्थानम्: place; abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• स्मृतम्: is remembered; is known as
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः (it is remembered/considered)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not stated in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mūlasthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sanctified spot marked as ‘Mūlasthāna’: Brahmā depicted as the venerable pitāmaha, with a symbolic ‘root’ motif—tree roots or a cosmic lotus-stem—indicating origin; pilgrims stand in contemplative reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Mūlasthāna
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites preserve cosmic memory: what is founded by a creator-deity becomes a ‘root’ locus for worship and pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mūlasthāna—named so because it was established by Brahmā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it provides the theological basis for the sanctity and name of Mūlasthāna.