Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पदं पूज्यं नरोत्तम । पितामहपदं सम्यक्छ्रद्धया स्वर्गदायकम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena padaṃ pūjyaṃ narottama | pitāmahapadaṃ samyakchraddhayā svargadāyakam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ നരോത്തമാ! സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെയും പിതാമഹൻ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ആ പാദചിഹ്നത്തെ സമ്യക്‌ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ പൂജിക്കണം; അത് സ്വർഗ്ഗദായകമാണ്।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः) = ‘therefore/from that’; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक ‘तद्’ इत्यस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं, अव्ययीभावेन कारणार्थे

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेषणपूर्वपद) ‘सर्वः प्रयत्नः’ → ‘सर्वप्रयत्न’; तृतीया-एकवचन ‘-ेन’

• पदं: the sacred place/footprint (pada)
• पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पूज्यं: worthy to be worshipped
• पूज्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूज्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थकः ‘to be worshipped’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पदं’ इति विशेषणम्

• नर-उत्तम: O best of men
• नर-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्षे) ‘नराणाम् उत्तमः’

• पितामह-पदं: the footprint/place of the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह-पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘पितामहस्य पदम्’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• स्वर्ग-दायकम्: bestowing heaven
• स्वर्ग-दायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चतुर्थी/उपपद) ‘स्वर्गं ददाति’ → ‘स्वर्गदायक’; ‘पितामहपदं/पदं’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitāmaha-pada (Brahmā’s Footprint)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narottama (addressed devotee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-ṛṣi addresses a noble listener ('narottama'), pointing toward the footprint shrine; the footprint glows subtly, suggesting its svarga-granting potency.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Brahmapada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent, faithful worship at a revered tirtha is upheld as a direct means to heavenly merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pitāmaha-pada (Brahmapada), the sacred footprint of Brahmā in the Arbuda sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pūjā to Brahmapada with full effort and śraddhā.