Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यदा प्राभासिके क्षेत्रे ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । आगतश्चाष्टवर्षस्तु बालरूपी तदोच्यते

Transliteration

yadā prābhāsike kṣetre brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | āgataścāṣṭavarṣastu bālarūpī tadocyate

Translation

Lorsque Brahmā, l’aïeul des mondes, vient au champ sacré de Prābhāsika, on dit alors qu’il est en forme d’enfant, âgé de huit ans.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction): "when"

• प्राभासिके: in/at Prābhāsika
• प्राभासिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative singular neuter adjective)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): लोकस्य पितामहः ("grandfather of the worlds")

• आगतः: having come/arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/ppp), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समनाधिकरण-विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

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

• अष्टवर्षः: eight years old
• अष्टवर्षः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound): अष्ट वर्षाणि यस्य सः ("eight-year-old")

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारण (particle: but/indeed)

• बालरूपी: child-formed
• बालरूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-भावार्थे): बालरूपः ("in the form of a child")

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): "then"

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (is said/called)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing the explanation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prābhāsika-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, lokapitāmaha, arrives at Prabhāsa and appears as an eight-year-old child—four-faced yet childlike, seated on a small lotus, surrounded by astonished devas and pilgrims; the kṣetra glows with rejuvenating light.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a mahā-kṣetra, even the highest beings display humility and transformation, highlighting the place’s divine potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prābhāsika kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a sacred phenomenon associated with entering the kṣetra.