Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तं ज्ञात्वा सांप्रतं कालं ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । मनसा चिन्तयामास पुष्कराणि समाहितः

Transliteration

taṃ jñātvā sāṃprataṃ kālaṃ brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | manasā cintayāmāsa puṣkarāṇi samāhitaḥ

Translation

Sachant que l’heure présente était venue, Brahmā, l’Aïeul des mondes, l’esprit recueilli, contempla en son cœur les Puṣkara.

Word by Word

• tam: that (it/him)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), Avyaya-prayoga (indeclinable verbal)

• sāṃpratam: now, at present
• sāṃpratam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kālavyaya (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• kālam: time
• kālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• lokapitāmahaḥ: grandfather of the worlds
• lokapitāmahaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘lokasya pitāmahaḥ’

• manasā: with the mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• cintayāmāsa: thought, reflected
• cintayāmāsa: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्, past/imperfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• puṣkarāṇi: Puṣkaras (the lakes/places named Puṣkara)
• puṣkarāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• samāhitaḥ: composed, concentrated
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Skanda depending on frame, not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (Puṣkarāṇi / Puṣkara-traya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, serene and four-faced, sits in meditation; with inward focus he contemplates the Puṣkaras, as subtle luminous forms begin to appear in his mind’s space.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A concentrated mind (samādhi-like focus) is presented as the source of sacred action and the unfolding of holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara and its associated sacred manifestations (Puṣkaras) are invoked.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mental recollection/meditation (smaraṇa and samāhita-citta) as a preparatory sacred act.