Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्राणां माहात्म्यं भुवनस्य च । संहारश्च प्रदृश्येत पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇvarkarudrāṇāṃ māhātmyaṃ bhuvanasya ca | saṃhāraśca pradṛśyeta purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam

Translation

Therein are also seen the sacred greatness of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Sun, and Rudra, along with the nature of the worlds and their dissolution (saṃhāra)—thus the Purāṇa is known by its fivefold marks.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्राणाम्: of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Arka (Sun), and Rudra
• ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + अर्क + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective copulative)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• भुवनस्य: of the world
• भुवनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• संहारः: dissolution, destruction
• संहारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• प्रदृश्येत: should be seen/appears
• प्रदृश्येत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुराणम्: a Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पञ्चलक्षणम्: having five characteristics
• पञ्चलक्षणम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Sūrya, and Rudra shown with their emblems, above layered worlds (lokas), with a dissolving oceanic pralaya motif at the base—while sages listen to the exposition.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Rudra
• saṃhāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas are not mere stories; they reveal divine glory and the cosmic cycle, guiding devotion and dharmic understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa Māhātmya context remains in the background; this verse is primarily theological and cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it outlines Purāṇic subject matter.