Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भवद्भिर्ज्ञानसंयुक्तैः स्वर्गः किं मन्यते बहु । यत्रैके वसवः प्रोक्ता आदित्याश्च तथा परे

Transliteration

bhavadbhirjñānasaṃyuktaiḥ svargaḥ kiṃ manyate bahu | yatraike vasavaḥ proktā ādityāśca tathā pare

Translation

Vous qui êtes doués de discernement, pourquoi tenir le ciel pour une grandeur suprême ? Là, certains sont appelés les Vasus, et d’autres de même les Ādityas.

Word by Word

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (respected ones)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; आदरार्थे ‘भवत्’

• jñāna-saṃyuktaiḥ: endowed with knowledge
• jñāna-saṃyuktaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानेन संयुक्तैः)

• svargaḥ: heaven
• svargaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kim: what? / why?
• kim: Question marker (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• manyate: is considered / is thought
• manyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bahu: much, greatly
• bahu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (much)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• eke: some
• eke: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• vasavaḥ: the Vasus
• vasavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; देवगणविशेषः

• proktāḥ: are said (to be)
• proktāḥ: Kriya (Predicative/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त, क्त; प्र+वच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मणि (are said/called)

• ādityāḥ: the Ādityas
• ādityāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āditya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Discourse adverb (प्रकार/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (thus/also)

• pare: others
• pare: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva teaches the sages, gesturing upward as if indicating celestial orders—Vasus and Ādityas—while emphasizing detachment; sages listen with contemplative faces.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Vasus
• Ādityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted heavenly status is still within the realm of change; the wise do not overvalue it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the narrative setting; the teaching frames why a superior goal than svarga is sought through sacred living there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a reflection on heaven’s nature and hierarchy.