Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तेऽथ देवेन विप्रा ऊचुः पितामहम् । द्रष्टव्यः कुत्र सोऽस्माभिः कथयस्व यथास्थितम्

Transliteration

evamukte'tha devena viprā ūcuḥ pitāmaham | draṣṭavyaḥ kutra so'smābhiḥ kathayasva yathāsthitam

Translation

Quand le dieu eut parlé ainsi, les brāhmaṇas dirent à Pitāmaha (Brahmā) : «Où devons-nous Le voir ? Dis-le-nous exactement, tel que cela est».

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; adverb (‘thus’)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्मणि कृदन्तः; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; locative absolute (‘when it was said’)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; discourse particle (‘then/now’)

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• विप्राः: the brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्श/परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पितामहम्: (O) Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहम्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे कर्मवत् (addressing Brahmā)

• द्रष्टव्यः: to be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Vidhyartha (Obligation/विध्यर्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘to be seen’

• कुत्र: where
• कुत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; interrogative adverb (‘where?’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘by us’

• कथयस्व: tell (us)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Imperative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यथा-स्थितम्: as it is, exactly
• यथा-स्थितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; ‘as it is/according to the actual state’ (adverbial)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ), addressing Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame); within episode: brāhmaṇas addressing Pitāmaha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of brāhmaṇas, hands folded, addressing Pitāmaha with earnest faces; the atmosphere is studious and devotional, poised for directions to a hidden darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere seekers should ask for precise guidance so that darśana (sacred encounter) is pursued in the right place and manner.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider context is Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), a celebrated tīrtha whose sacred geography is being explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse centers on requesting accurate directions for darśana.