Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अत्रिर्होतार्चिकस्तत्र पुलस्त्योऽध्वर्युरेव च । उद्गाताऽथो मरीचिश्च ब्रह्माहं सुरपुंगवः

Transliteration

atrirhotārcikastatra pulastyo'dhvaryureva ca | udgātā'tho marīciśca brahmāhaṃ surapuṃgavaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ അത്രി ഹോതാവും ഋക്-പാഠകനുമായി നിന്നു; പുലസ്ത്യൻ അധ്വര്യുവായി; മരീചി ഉദ്ഗാതാവായി; ഞാൻ ദേവന്മാരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായി ബ്രഹ്മാ-ഋത്വിക് (യജ്ഞാധ്യക്ഷൻ) ആയി നിന്നു।

Word by Word

• atriḥ: Atri
• atriḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• hotā: Hotṛ priest (invoker)
• hotā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hotṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• arcikaḥ: Arcika (a priestly role/name)
• arcikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पदविशेष/ऋत्विज्-नाम (masc. nom. sg.)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “there”)

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• adhvaryuḥ: Adhvaryu priest
• adhvaryuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvaryu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle: “indeed”)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: “and”)

• udgātā: Udgātṛ priest (chanter)
• udgātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udgātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• atho: then, and also
• atho: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha + u (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: “then/and also”)

• marīciḥ: Marīci
• marīciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (1st pers. pronoun nom. sg.)

• surapuṃgavaḥ: best of the gods
• surapuṃgavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + puṃgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुराणां पुंङ्गवः/श्रेष्ठः) (masc. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Indra (Sahasrākṣa/Śakra), inferred from “aham surapuṃgavaḥ” (I, foremost among gods)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Atri chants as Hotṛ and Ṛc-reciter; Pulastya measures and offers as Adhvaryu; Marīci sings Sāman as Udgātṛ; Indra stands as Brahmā-priest overseeing, all within a luminous Prabhāsa yajña enclosure.

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Pulastya
• Marīci
• Indra (implied)
• Hotṛ
• Adhvaryu
• Udgātṛ
• Brahmā-priest (office)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined cooperation—each priestly role supports the wholeness of sacred action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, shown as a fully Vedic ritual-field with eminent ṛṣis serving as officiants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The assignment of Vedic priestly offices—Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, Udgātṛ, and Brahmā (overseer)—for conducting the yajña.