Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

धारणं हृदये कृत्वा ध्यायमानः प्रजेश्वरम् । हृत्पद्मकर्णिकासीनं रक्तवर्णं सुलोचनम्

Transliteration

dhāraṇaṃ hṛdaye kṛtvā dhyāyamānaḥ prajeśvaram | hṛtpadmakarṇikāsīnaṃ raktavarṇaṃ sulocanam

Translation

Établissant la dhāraṇā dans le cœur, il médite le Seigneur des créatures (Prajāpati/Brahmā), assis sur le péricarpe du lotus du cœur, rouge de teinte et aux beaux yeux.

Word by Word

• धारणम्: concentration/holding
• धारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (object of ‘कृत्वा’)

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय (Present participle, Ātmanepada: शानच्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजेश्वरम्: Lord of creatures
• प्रजेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रजानाम् ईश्वरः)

• हृत्पद्मकर्णिकासीनम्: seated on the heart-lotus’s pericarp
• हृत्पद्मकर्णिकासीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत् + पद्म + कर्णिका + आसीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (हृत्पद्मस्य कर्णिकायाम् आसीनः)

• रक्तवर्णम्: red-colored
• रक्तवर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (रक्तः वर्णः यस्य)

• सुलोचनम्: beautiful-eyed
• सुलोचनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुन्दराणि लोचनानि यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as 'devi' in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in stillness, hands in dhyāna-mudrā, with a luminous heart-lotus revealed; upon its pericarp sits red-hued four-faced Brahmā/Prajāpati, serene and fair-eyed, radiating inward light.

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati
• Brahmā
• Hṛtpadma (heart-lotus)
• Dhāraṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes inward and transformative when the deity is contemplated in the heart through steady dhāraṇā and dhyāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where inner worship (mānasa-pūjā/dhyāna) complements external rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform heart-centered dhāraṇā and meditate on Prajeśvara (Brahmā) seated in the heart-lotus.