Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

सृष्टिकामेन देवेन ततस्तुष्टो महेश्वरः । चतुर्विधां भूतसृष्टिं ततश्चक्रे पितामहः

Transliteration

sṛṣṭikāmena devena tatastuṣṭo maheśvaraḥ | caturvidhāṃ bhūtasṛṣṭiṃ tataścakre pitāmahaḥ

Translation

Lorsque le dieu Brahmā, désireux de créer, rendit un culte, Maheśvara (Śiva) en fut satisfait. Alors Pitāmaha (Brahmā) fit surgir la création quadruple des êtres.

Word by Word

• sṛṣṭikāmena: by the creation-desiring
• sṛṣṭikāmena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛṣṭi + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—सृष्टेः कामः यस्य (सृष्टि-कामः) = creation-desirous

• devena: by the god
• devena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/परिणामवाचक (then/thereupon)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣ (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि—‘तुष्टः’ = pleased

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahēśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महान् ईश्वरः

• caturvidhām: fourfold
• caturvidhām: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + vidhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—चतुर्णां विधा (fourfold)

• bhūtasṛṣṭim: creation of beings
• bhūtasṛṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta + sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—भूतानां सृष्टिः (creation of beings/elements)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereupon)

• cakre: made/created
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pitāmahaḥ: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśvara/Vṛṣabheśvara (same shrine in kalpa framing)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, after worship, receives Maheśvara’s pleased glance; from Brahmā emanates the fourfold creation—beings emerging in symbolic groups—while the liṅga remains central as the axis of grace.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic duties succeed through divine grace; worship aligns the creator with the Supreme’s will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra indirectly, by linking the liṅga’s worship to Brahmā’s capacity to create.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Propitiation of Maheśvara through worship is implied as the means to obtain siddhi for one’s rightful duty.