Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

यत्राधिकृत्य माहात्म्यमादित्यस्य चतुर्मुखः । अघोरकल्पवृत्तान्तप्रसंगेन जगत्पतिः । मनवे कथयामास भूतग्रामस्य लक्षणम्

Transliteration

yatrādhikṛtya māhātmyamādityasya caturmukhaḥ | aghorakalpavṛttāntaprasaṃgena jagatpatiḥ | manave kathayāmāsa bhūtagrāmasya lakṣaṇam

Translation

In that Purāṇa, four-faced Brahmā, Lord of the world, taking up the greatness of Āditya and, in the course of the Aghora-kalpa narrative, explained to Manu the distinguishing marks of the host of beings.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• अधिकृत्य: having taken up (as the topic)
• अधिकृत्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/विषय-निर्देश)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि+कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), ‘अधिकृत्य’ = आधारं कृत्वा/विषयीकृत्य (having taken as topic)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• आदित्यस्य: of Āditya (the Sun)
• आदित्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• चतुर्मुखः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य (one who has four faces)

• अघोरकल्पवृत्तान्तप्रसंगेन: by the occasion of the account of the Aghora-kalpa
• अघोरकल्पवृत्तान्तप्रसंगेन: Karana (Instrument/Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular); समासः: अघोरकल्पस्य वृत्तान्तस्य प्रसंगेन (genitive-tatpurusha chain)

• जगत्पतिः: lord of the world
• जगत्पतिः: Karta (Subject-Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः: जगतः पतिः (genitive-tatpurusha)

• मनवे: to Manu
• मनवे: Sampradana (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (dative singular)

• कथयामास: narrated/told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘आमास’ इति लिट्-प्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect sense)

• भूतग्रामस्य: of the multitude of beings
• भूतग्रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः: भूतानां ग्रामस्य (genitive-tatpurusha)

• लक्षणम्: the characteristic/definition
• लक्षणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā (caturmukha) instructs Manu in a cosmic setting: a radiant Sun-disc (Āditya) dominates the sky; around them are symbolic representations of the ‘bhūta-grāma’—humans, animals, birds, plants, and elemental motifs—arranged as a mandala of life.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturmukha)
• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Aghora-kalpa
• Manu
• Bhūta-grāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching connects divine glory (Āditya) with cosmological order, presenting creation and beings as part of dharma’s framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where Purāṇic knowledge supports the sanctity and authority of the Prabhāsa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides the thematic identification of a Purāṇa narrative frame (Brahmā instructing Manu).