Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तावद्धमंति संसारे दुःख शोकभयप्लुताः । न भवंति सुरज्येष्ठे यावद्भक्ताः पितामहे

Transliteration

tāvaddhamaṃti saṃsāre duḥkha śokabhayaplutāḥ | na bhavaṃti surajyeṣṭhe yāvadbhaktāḥ pitāmahe

Translation

Ainsi longtemps les êtres errent dans le saṃsāra, submergés de souffrance, de chagrin et de crainte, jusqu’à ce qu’ils deviennent dévots de Pitāmaha (Brahmā), l’aîné parmi les dieux.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक) = indeclinable adverb meaning 'so long/that long'

• धमन्ति: are agitated / are afflicted
• धमन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धम् = to blow/puff (here: to be agitated/afflicted)

• संसारे: in the world (saṃsāra)
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative = 'in the world/cycle of existence'

• दुःख-शोक-भय-प्लुताः: overwhelmed by suffering, grief, and fear
• दुःख-शोक-भय-प्लुताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्लुत (कृदन्त; √प्लु/प्लव्)
• Form: बहुवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), पुंलिङ्ग; समासः = तत्पुरुष (दुःखशोकभयैः प्लुताः = 'overwhelmed by sorrow, fear, suffering')

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय = negative particle

• भवन्ति: become / are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; √भू = to be/become

• सुरज्येष्ठे: in/with the eldest of the gods
• सुरज्येष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः = तत्पुरुष (सुराणां ज्येष्ठः = 'eldest of gods', i.e., Brahmā/Indra depending on context)

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्ध) = correlative 'as long as/until'

• भक्ताः: devotees
• भक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (कृदन्त; √भज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; 'devotees'

• पितामहे: in/with Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative = 'in/with Pitāmaha (Brahmā)'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: beings wandering in the wheel of saṃsāra, afflicted by sorrow and fear, then turning toward Pitāmaha with devotion, finding relief.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly suffering persists until devotion is turned toward the divine source (here, Brahmā as Pitāmaha), which becomes a turning point away from fear and grief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya and supports the later identification of Brahmā’s station near Somanātha in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti (devotional orientation) is emphasized rather than a specific external ritual.