Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अन्येषु सर्वतीर्थेषु वृद्धरूपी पितामहः । मुक्त्वा प्राभासिकं क्षेत्रं सदैव विबुधप्रिये

Transliteration

anyeṣu sarvatīrtheṣu vṛddharūpī pitāmahaḥ | muktvā prābhāsikaṃ kṣetraṃ sadaiva vibudhapriye

Translation

മറ്റെല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും പിതാമഹൻ വൃദ്ധരൂപത്തിൽ ദർശനമരുളുന്നു; ദേവപ്രിയേ, പ്രാഭാസിക ക്ഷേത്രം ഒഴികെ എല്ലായിടത്തും അങ്ങനെതന്നെ.

Word by Word

• अन्येषु: in other
• अन्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (locative plural: "in other")

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/holy places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ("all" qualifying "tīrthas")

• वृद्धरूपी: old-formed
• वृद्धरूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-भावार्थे): वृद्धरूपः ("in the form of an old man")

• पितामहः: the grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• मुक्त्वा: having left
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): "having left/abandoned"

• प्राभासिकम्: Prābhāsika
• प्राभासिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (accusative singular neuter)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb): "always"

• विबुधप्रिये: O beloved of the gods
• विबुधप्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: विबुधानां प्रिया ("dear to the gods")

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prābhāsika-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as vibudha-priyā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-scene contrast: in many tīrthas Brahmā appears as a venerable old grandsire; in Prabhāsa he is youthful/childlike. Devī (‘vibudha-priyā’) listens as Īśvara points to the contrast, with Prabhāsa shining brighter than the other depicted tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Devī (implied by vibudhapriye)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all tīrthas are described as equal in effect; Prabhāsa is praised as exceptionally transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, singled out as unique among all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an evaluative praise of Prabhāsa’s distinctive spiritual influence.