Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

चित्रं देवानामित्येवं सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । ब्रह्मंस्ते छादयामीति कवचं समुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

citraṃ devānāmityevaṃ sarvalokeṣu viśrutam | brahmaṃste chādayāmīti kavacaṃ samudāhṛtam

Translation

‘ചിത്രം ദേവാനാം…’ എന്ന മന്ത്രം സർവ്വലോകങ്ങളിലും വിശ്രുതമായി കവചമായി പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ‘ബ്രഹ്മംസ്തേ ഛാദയാമി’ രക്ഷാവരണമായി ജപിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चित्रम्: (the mantra) “citraṃ”
• चित्रम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम-रूपेण (as the name ‘citraṃ’)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इति: thus/“…”
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = एवंप्रकारेण (thus)

• सर्वलोकेषु: in all worlds
• सर्वलोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सर्वे लोका:’

• विश्रुतम्: well-known
• विश्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) विशेषणरूपेण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विश्रुतम्’ = प्रसिद्धम् (well-known)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (O sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (enclitic)

• छादयामि: I cover/protect
• छादयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कवचम्: armor; protective formula
• कवचम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुदाहृतम्: is proclaimed/declared
• समुदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘समुदाहृतम्’ = सम्यगुक्तम्/उद्घोषितम् (is proclaimed)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of pilgrims at the coastal shrine recite in unison; a luminous ‘armour’ motif is suggested—like a subtle haloed cloak—around the lead reciter as lamps and incense smoke rise.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protection is sought not by fear but by sanctifying one’s ritual space through revered Vedic utterance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where mantra-kavaca is part of the prescribed worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use specific Vedic lines as the kavaca (armour/protective covering) within the nyāsa/worship sequence.