Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा पितामहः सर्वा गत्वरा धरणीं प्रति । देवदारुवने रम्ये प्रभासे क्षेत्र उत्तमे । कमण्डलौ कृता दृष्टिर्विविशुस्ताः कमण्डलुम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā pitāmahaḥ sarvā gatvarā dharaṇīṃ prati | devadāruvane ramye prabhāse kṣetra uttame | kamaṇḍalau kṛtā dṛṣṭirviviśustāḥ kamaṇḍalum

Translation

Les ayant toutes vues, Pitāmaha (Brahmā) tourna son attention vers la terre. Dans l’agréable forêt de cèdres deodāra à Prabhāsa, kṣetra suprême, il fixa son regard sur son kamaṇḍalu ; et ces rivières entrèrent dans le kamaṇḍalu.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वाः: all (of them)
• सर्वाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• गत्वराः: swift-moving
• गत्वराः: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (शीघ्रगामिनी/going swiftly)

• धरणीम्: the earth
• धरणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Adhikarana/Direction (Goal/अधिकरण-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like), दिशार्थे (towards)

• देवदारुवने: in the deodar forest
• देवदारुवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदारुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (देवदारूणां वनम्)

• रम्ये: beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्तमे: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• कमण्डलौ: in the water-pot (kamaṇḍalu)
• कमण्डलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular) (वैकल्पिकरूपेण); अर्थः—कमण्डलौ (in the water-pot)

• कृता: made/placed
• कृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘दृष्टिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दृष्टिः: the gaze/attention
• दृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विविशुः: they entered
• विविशुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• ताः: those (f.)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम

• कमण्डलुम्: the water-pot
• कमण्डलुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (narrating events; Brahmā acts within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Devadāru-vana episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī (implied by ‘varānane’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the beautiful deodāra grove of Prabhāsa, Brahmā (Pitāmaha) lowers his gaze to his kamaṇḍalu; the assembled river-devīs transform into streams of light-water and flow into the small pot—an awe-inspiring compression of the sacred world into a ritual vessel.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Devadāru-vana
• Kamaṇḍalu
• Sacred rivers (collectively)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine will can gather and direct purifying powers for the welfare of the world; tīrthas are shaped by cosmic intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, especially the Devadāru-vana (deodāra grove) within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse sets up the origin-story behind sacred waters used for abhiṣeka and purification.