Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

अपां मध्ये स्थिता देवाः सर्वमप्सु प्रतिष्ठितम् । ब्राह्मणस्य करे न्यस्ताः शिवा आपो भवन्तु नः

Transliteration

apāṃ madhye sthitā devāḥ sarvamapsu pratiṣṭhitam | brāhmaṇasya kare nyastāḥ śivā āpo bhavantu naḥ

Translation

Les dieux demeurent au cœur des eaux ; tout est établi dans l’eau. Déposées dans la main d’un Brāhmaṇa, que ces eaux deviennent pour nous auspice et bienfait.

Word by Word

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन — of waters

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in the middle

• स्थिताः: situated
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — having stood/being situated

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — the gods

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Nom or 2nd/Acc), एकवचन — all/everything

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन — in waters

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — established

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of the brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — of the brāhmaṇa

• करे: in (his) hand
• करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — in the hand

• न्यस्ताः: placed
• न्यस्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-यस्/न्यस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — placed/deposited

• शिवाः: auspicious
• शिवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — auspicious

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — waters

• भवन्तु: may (they) be
• भवन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन — let them be

• नः: for us
• नः: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन-रूप (enclitic) — of us/for us

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra tīrtha-jala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Brāhmaṇa holds a cupped palm of water; within the water, faint divine forms shimmer. Surrounding scene shows ritual vessels, kuśa grass, and the sacred shoreline/ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Waters (Āpaḥ)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Water is a cosmic support and a divine medium; when ritually handled and offered correctly, it becomes a channel of auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra’s sacred ritual setting, where water-offerings (tarpaṇa/ācamanīya) are framed as divinely grounded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mantra-like affirmation sanctifies waters used in rites, especially when entrusted to a qualified Brāhmaṇa in the śrāddha context.