Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । ब्रह्मणो दिनमानं तु मासवर्षसहस्रकम् । तत्सर्वं विस्तराद्ब्रूहि यथायुर्ब्रह्मणः स्मृत म्

Transliteration

devyuvāca | brahmaṇo dinamānaṃ tu māsavarṣasahasrakam | tatsarvaṃ vistarādbrūhi yathāyurbrahmaṇaḥ smṛta m

Translation

ദേവി പറഞ്ഞു— ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ഒരു ‘ദിന’ത്തിന്റെ അളവ് ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് മാസങ്ങളും വർഷങ്ങളും ആണെന്ന് പറയുന്നു. ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ആയുസ്സ് സ്മൃതിയിൽ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ അതെല്ലാം വിശദമായി പറയുക।

Word by Word

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• दिनमानम्: the measure of a day
• दिनमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिनमान (प्रातिपदिक: दिन + मान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दिनस्य मानम्)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• मासवर्षसहस्रकम्: a thousand (in terms of months and years)
• मासवर्षसहस्रकम्: Karma/Viśeṣaṇa (measure-specifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + वर्ष + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-प्राय (मास-वर्ष-सम्बद्धं सहस्रकम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in detail)

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• यथा: as / how
• यथा: Sambandha (Clause linker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/उपमान/अन्वय (as/how)

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject of implied 'is')
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriyā (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (remembered/declared)

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, seated in reverent inquiry, asks Īśvara to explain Brahmā’s day and lifespan; behind them a schematic cosmos: yuga-wheels, sun-moon, lotus of Brahmā, and the luminous Prabhāsa landscape anchoring the discourse.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma encourages inquiry into cosmic order, linking sacred place-narratives with metaphysical time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion occurs in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya context, framing cosmology within the kṣetra’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal inquiry about cosmic time and Brahmā’s lifespan.