Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

पुरा बुद्धिः समुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । इति वेदा मया प्रोक्ता यज्ञार्थं नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

purā buddhiḥ samutpannā brahmaṇo'vyaktajanmanaḥ | iti vedā mayā proktā yajñārthaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, une intention naquit en Brahmā, dont la naissance est inmanifestée : «Les Veda ont été proclamés par moi pour le but du sacrifice (yajña) ; là-dessus, point de doute».

Word by Word

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण

• buddhiḥ: understanding/idea
• buddhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samutpannā: arose
• samutpannā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut-pad (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उत्पन्ना’ = arose

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• avyakta-janmanaḥ: of the one with unmanifest origin
• avyakta-janmanaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyakta + janman (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यस्य जन्म अव्यक्तम्’ (whose birth is unmanifest) — ‘ब्रह्मणः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण-सूचक (quotative particle)

• vedāḥ: the Vedas
• vedāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• proktāḥ: were spoken/taught
• proktāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वेदाः’ इत्यस्य अन्वयः

• yajña-artham: for the purpose of sacrifice
• yajña-artham: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña + artha (प्रातिपदिक; तत्पुरुष-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of sacrifice)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/Topic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Pratijna/Predicate (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) narrating Brahmā’s resolve

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic Brahmā, unmanifest-born, conceives the purpose of Veda as sacrifice; a contemplative creation tableau with subtle cosmic symbols.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Vedas
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Veda and yajña are linked as instruments of cosmic harmony; dharma is sustained through sacrificial order and right intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the teaching appears within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya’s broader sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña is affirmed as the purpose for which the Vedas are taught—an endorsement of sacrificial rites as dhārmic practice.