Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वैश्च ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । बालरूपी च नाम्नां च तत्र स्थाने स्थितः स्वयम्

Transliteration

caturviṃśatitattvaiśca brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | bālarūpī ca nāmnāṃ ca tatra sthāne sthitaḥ svayam

Translation

Là, associé aux vingt-quatre principes, Brahmā—l’aïeul des mondes—demeure en ce lieu de lui-même, prenant une forme d’enfant et portant des noms illustres.

Word by Word

• caturviṃśati-tattvaiḥ: with/by the twenty-four principles
• caturviṃśati-tattvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturviṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (caturviṃśateḥ tattvāni)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• loka-pitāmahaḥ: the grandsire of the worlds
• loka-pitāmahaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (lokānāṃ pitāmahaḥ)

• bāla-rūpī: having the form of a child
• bāla-rūpī: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (bālaḥ rūpī)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• nāmnām: of names
• nāmnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: abiding/standing
• sthitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धाातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/स्थित-अवस्था (past participle: ‘stood/abiding’)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta (Emphatic/कर्ता-बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within Prabhāsa, Brahmā appears as a radiant child (bāla-brahmā), surrounded by symbolic rings of 24 tattvas—elements, senses, mind—depicted as lotus-petals or mandala segments.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha)
• Caturviṃśati-tattva (twenty-four principles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown by direct divine presence—Prabhāsa is portrayed as a living seat of cosmic principles and Brahmā’s manifestation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as a locale where Brahmā himself abides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes divine residence rather than a specific vrata or rite.