Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

चतुर्भिर्भगवान्विष्णुर्द्वाभ्यां ब्रह्मा तथा रविः । अष्टादशपुराणेषु शेषेषु भगवाञ्छिवः

Transliteration

caturbhirbhagavānviṣṇurdvābhyāṃ brahmā tathā raviḥ | aṣṭādaśapurāṇeṣu śeṣeṣu bhagavāñchivaḥ

Translation

Parmi les dix-huit Purāṇa, Viṣṇu est principalement loué dans quatre ; Brahmā et de même le Soleil (Ravi) dans deux chacun ; et dans les autres, le Seigneur bienheureux Śiva.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भिः: by four (i.e., in four)
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• द्वाभ्याम्: by two (i.e., in two)
• द्वाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक

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

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/also)

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अष्टादशपुराणेषु: in the eighteen Purāṇas
• अष्टादशपुराणेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound)

• शेषेषु: in the remaining (ones)
• शेषेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages display a symbolic set of eighteen manuscripts; four glow with Viṣṇu’s emblem, two with Brahmā, two with Sūrya, and the rest with Śiva’s liṅga emblem—set against a Prabhāsa shrine backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Śiva
• aṣṭādaśa-purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a traditional map of Purāṇic emphases, showing how different texts foreground different deities while remaining within a shared sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it is an overview statement within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya’s instructional passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.