Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा तपश्चचारोग्रममराणां पितामहः । आविर्भूतास्ततो वेदाः सषडंगपदक्रमाः

Transliteration

purā tapaścacārogramamarāṇāṃ pitāmahaḥ | āvirbhūtāstato vedāḥ saṣaḍaṃgapadakramāḥ

Translation

In ancient times, the Grandsire of the gods, Brahmā, performed intense austerity. Thereupon the Vedas manifested—complete with their six auxiliaries and their ordered recitation and wording.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb: formerly/once)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• चचार: performed, practiced
• चचार: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• उग्रम्: intense, fierce
• उग्रम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying तपः)

• अमराणाम्: of the immortals (gods)
• अमराणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• आविर्भूताः: manifested, appeared
• आविर्भूताः: Kriyā (Predicative action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर्भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भू-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (past participle: having manifested)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Sequential time adjunct/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-प्रभवम् अव्ययम्; क्रमवाचक-अव्ययम् (then/thereupon)

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• सषडङ्गपदक्रमाः: with the six auxiliaries and word-order/recitation sequence
• सषडङ्गपदक्रमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ) + षड् (संख्या) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षडङ्गानां पदक्रमश्च येषां ते) विशेषणम् (qualifying वेदाः)

Speaker

Sūta (implied continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahārṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, the grandsire, seated in deep austerity; from the luminous space of meditation, the Vedas manifest as radiant scrolls/sound-waves, accompanied by symbols of the six Vedāṅgas and orderly recitation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Veda
• Ṣaḍaṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge arises from tapas and divine order—revelation is rooted in disciplined spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse provides cosmological/scriptural background within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is praised as the means by which divine knowledge manifests, though no specific rite is prescribed.