Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणाऽभिहितं पूर्वं यावन्मात्रं मरीचये । ब्राह्मं तद्दशसाहस्रं पुराणं तदिहोच्यते

Transliteration

brahmaṇā'bhihitaṃ pūrvaṃ yāvanmātraṃ marīcaye | brāhmaṃ taddaśasāhasraṃ purāṇaṃ tadihocyate

Translation

മുമ്പ് ബ്രഹ്മാവ് മരീചിക്ക് ഏതു പരിമാണത്തിൽ ഉപദേശിച്ചുവോ, അതേ ഇവിടെ ‘ബ്രാഹ്മ പുരാണം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അത് ദശസഹസ്ര (ശ്ലോകങ്ങൾ) ഉള്ളതാണ്।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā/Brahman
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by Brahman)

• अभिहितम्: told/declared
• अभिहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle ‘said/told’

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb ‘formerly’

• यावत्-मात्रम्: only so much; to that extent
• यावत्-मात्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘only as much as’ (measure)

• मरीचये: to Marīci
• मरीचये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Dative singular (to Marīci)

• ब्राह्मम्: Brahmic; pertaining to Brahmā
• ब्राह्मम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘Brahmā-related/Brahmic’ qualifying पुराणम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Determiner/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — demonstrative ‘that’

• दश-साहस्रम्: ten-thousand (in extent)
• दश-साहस्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — numeral compound ‘ten-thousand’ qualifying पुराणम्

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘that’ (referring to the Purāṇa)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — indeclinable adverb ‘here/in this context’

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present passive, 3rd sg ‘is said/called’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary flashback: Brahmā instructs Marīci, while the present narrator identifies this as the Brāhma Purāṇa of ten thousand verses.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Marīci
• Brāhma Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic authority rests on sacred lineage: teachings received from Brahmā and preserved by ṛṣis become guiding dharma for the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya’s discourse, though it specifically catalogs Purāṇas rather than a local rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.