Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

सूक्तानि हि पवित्राणि ब्रह्मणा निर्मितानि च । अन्येऽवसंस्तदा तत्र द्वादशाक्षरचिन्तकाः

Transliteration

sūktāni hi pavitrāṇi brahmaṇā nirmitāni ca | anye'vasaṃstadā tatra dvādaśākṣaracintakāḥ

Translation

Car les sūkta, hymnes sacrés, sont purificateurs et furent façonnés par Brahmā. En ce temps-là, d’autres demeuraient en ce lieu, méditant le mantra aux douze syllabes.

Word by Word

• सूक्तानि: hymns, well-spoken verses
• सूक्तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• पवित्राणि: pure, purifying
• पवित्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सूक्तानि)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मितानि: created, made
• निर्मितानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सूक्तानि)

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अवसन्: dwelt, stayed
• अवसन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; (पाठभेदे: अवसन्/अवसन्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: then)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: there)

• द्वादशाक्षरचिन्तकाः: meditators on the twelve-syllable mantra
• द्वादशाक्षरचिन्तकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षर + चिन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्वादशाक्षरस्य चिन्तकाः = meditators on the twelve-syllable [mantra])

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage-settlement in Prabhāsa where ascetics sit in rows, counting beads and contemplating the dvādaśākṣarī; palm-leaf manuscripts and Vedic sūktas are revered as luminous, Brahmā-born speech.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllable mantra)
• Vastrāpathakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification arises through sacred hymns and sustained mantra-contemplation, making the kṣetra a home for steady remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, where practitioners are described as dwelling in continuous dvādaśākṣara contemplation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/embrace of purifying sūktas and meditation on the dvādaśākṣarī (twelve-syllable) mantra.