Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा प्रययौ देवी तीर्थक्षेत्रादिसंयुता । ब्रह्मेशानौ पुरस्कृत्य हृष्टौ दृष्ट्वा महोत्सवान्

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | ityuktvā prayayau devī tīrthakṣetrādisaṃyutā | brahmeśānau puraskṛtya hṛṣṭau dṛṣṭvā mahotsavān

Translation

Prahlāda dit : Ayant ainsi parlé, la Déesse se mit en route, accompagnée des tīrtha et des lieux saints. Plaçant Brahmā et Īśāna à l’avant, ils se réjouirent en voyant les grandes festivités.

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• प्रययौ: departed/went forth
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थक्षेत्रादिसंयुता: accompanied by (connected with) sacred fords, holy places, etc.
• तीर्थक्षेत्रादिसंयुता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘तीर्थ-क्षेत्र-आदि-सम्बद्धा’

• ब्रह्मेशानौ: Brahmā and Īśāna (Śiva)
• ब्रह्मेशानौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual); समासः (द्वन्द्व)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front / having honored as foremost
• पुरस्कृत्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + पुरस् (उपपद)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘पुरः कृत्वा’

• हृष्टौ: delighted (the two)
• हृष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• महोत्सवान्: great festivals
• महोत्सवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः (कर्मधारय)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (with attendant tīrthas/kṣetras)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda narrates: the Goddess (Dvārakā personified) moves forth in a grand procession, accompanied by embodied tīrthas and kṣetras; Brahmā and Īśāna are placed at the front as honored leaders, all delighted by a great festival scene.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Devī
• Brahmā
• Īśāna (Śiva)
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is living and participatory: tīrthas and kṣetras are portrayed as divine companions, emphasizing the holiness of pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā and its festival atmosphere, with the broader network of tīrthas and kṣetras converging upon it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse frames pilgrimage and sacred celebration as auspicious contexts for devotion.