Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

वेत्ता यो वेदविदुषां प्रभुर्यः प्रभवात्मनाम् । सोमभूतस्तु भूतानामग्निभूतोऽग्निवर्त्मनाम्

Transliteration

vettā yo vedaviduṣāṃ prabhuryaḥ prabhavātmanām | somabhūtastu bhūtānāmagnibhūto'gnivartmanām

Translation

Il est le Connaisseur suprême parmi les connaisseurs du Veda, le Seigneur de ceux qui sont source de puissance et de création. Pour les êtres vivants, il devient Soma ; et pour ceux qui suivent la voie du feu (la discipline du sacrifice), il devient Agni.

Word by Word

• vettā: knows; is the knower
• vettā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; √विद् ‘जानाति’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यः

• vedaviduṣām: of the knowers of the Veda
• vedaviduṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; वेदं विदन्ति ये तेषाम् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• prabhuḥ: lord; master
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यः

• prabhavātmanām: of those whose nature is origin/power
• prabhavātmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhava (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; प्रभवः आत्मा येषाम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• somabhūtaḥ: become Soma; Soma-formed
• somabhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; √भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूत (क्त) कृदन्तः; सोमः इव/रूपेण भूतः (तत्पुरुष)

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपातः (particle: but/indeed)

• bhūtānām: of beings
• bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• agnibhūtaḥ: become Fire; fire-formed
• agnibhūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त; √भū)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भूत (क्त) कृदन्तः; अग्निरूपेण भूतः (तत्पुरुष)

• agnivartmanām: of those whose path is fire
• agnivartmanām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + vartman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; अग्निवर्त्म (अग्निः वर्त्म यस्य) इति बहुव्रीहिः-प्रातिपदिकस्य षष्ठी बहुवचनम्

Speaker

A questioner within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue (listener addressing the narrator/teacher)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (Somnātha region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar scene at Prabhāsa: Agni rises from a square kuṇḍa, while a cool Soma vessel glows beside it; above, the deity presides as the hidden knower, with sages holding Veda manuscripts; the sea and temple appear in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Soma
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is the inner essence of Vedic knowledge and the power behind sacrifice—nourishing as Soma and purifying as Agni.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the chapter’s setting; the verse supports its greatness through Vedic epithets of the Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the verse evokes yajña-oriented life (‘agnivartman’) and sacrificial purity.