Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्षं ब्राह्मणा देवाः परोक्षं दिवि देवताः । न विना ब्राह्मणा देवैर्न देवा ब्राह्मणैर्विना

Transliteration

pratyakṣaṃ brāhmaṇā devāḥ parokṣaṃ divi devatāḥ | na vinā brāhmaṇā devairna devā brāhmaṇairvinā

Translation

પૃથ્વી પર બ્રાહ્મણો પ્રત્યક્ષ દેવતા છે અને સ્વર્ગમાં દેવતાઓ પરોક્ષ છે. દેવતાઓ વિના બ્રાહ્મણો નથી અને બ્રાહ્મણો વિના દેવતાઓ નથી.

Word by Word

• pratyakṣam: directly, manifestly
• pratyakṣam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pratyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• parokṣam: indirectly, unseen
• parokṣam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: parokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• divi: in heaven
• divi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• devatāḥ: deities
• devatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग-संबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद/पूर्वसर्गसदृश), ‘विना’ = without; सह-तृतीया/विना-तृतीया प्रयोग

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• devaiḥ: by/with the gods
• devaiḥ: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (Association/Instrument/सहकारी-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by/with Brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Sahakārī/Karaṇa (Association/Instrument/सहकारी-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग-संबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद), ‘विना’ = without; सह-तृतीया/विना-तृतीया प्रयोग

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Soma / pilgrims by extension

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-tier composition: on earth, brāhmaṇas conduct a calm yajña/pūjā; above, devas receive offerings as subtle light-forms. A visual bridge (smoke/mantra-ribbons) connects the realms, showing mutual completion.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Deva/Devatā
• Diva (Svarga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches mutual dependence: devas sustain the cosmos, while brāhmaṇas sustain devas through mantra and yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where right relationship between ritual power and divine order is highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly points to yajña and mantra as the bridge between humans and devas, though no specific rite is named.