Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तस्माद्भवन्तं पृच्छामः पुराणे स्कन्दकीर्तिते । प्रभासक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये ब्राह्मी यात्रा श्रुता पुरा

Transliteration

tasmādbhavantaṃ pṛcchāmaḥ purāṇe skandakīrtite | prabhāsakṣetramāhātmye brāhmī yātrā śrutā purā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് സ്കന്ദൻ കീർത്തിച്ച ഈ പുരാണത്തിൽ, പ്രഭാസക്ഷേത്രമാഹാത്മ്യത്തിൽ മുമ്പ് കേട്ട ‘ബ്രാഹ്മീ യാത്ര’യെക്കുറിച്ച് ഞങ്ങൾ നിന്നോട് ചോദിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम् (Ablative sg used adverbially)

• भवन्तम्: you (honored one)
• भवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/भवन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; आदरार्थे (honorific ‘you’)

• पृच्छामः: we ask
• पृच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + छद्/पृच्छ् (धातु: पृच्छ्)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• स्कन्दकीर्तिते: declared by Skanda
• स्कन्दकीर्तिते: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कन्द + कीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कीर्त्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘स्कन्देन कीर्तिते’ (praised/declared by Skanda)

• प्रभासक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये: in the Māhātmya of Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• प्रभासक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास + क्षेत्र + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; ‘प्रभासक्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्ये’ (in the glory of Prabhāsa-field)

• ब्राह्मी: Brahmī (pertaining to Brahmā)
• ब्राह्मी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; यात्रा इति विशेषणम्

• यात्रा: pilgrimage
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• श्रुता: has been heard
• श्रुता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past participle, passive sense), स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘श्रूयते’ इत्यर्थे (has been heard)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Naimiṣeya Maharṣis (the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages respectfully question Sūta about the Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, specifically the ‘Brāhmī yātrā’; in the background, an imagined coastline/temple silhouette hints at Somnātha-Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Brāhmī Yātrā
• Sūta (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage traditions are to be understood through Purāṇic testimony—heard, questioned, and clarified in a dharmic assembly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is explicitly named as the focus of the Māhātmya and its pilgrimage traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse introduces the topic of a specific pilgrimage observance—Brāhmī Yātrā—without detailing its rites yet.