Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त्वा मंत्रिणं तत्र चंद्रमास्त्वरयाऽन्वितः । ब्रह्मलोकं स गतवान्यज्ञार्थं ब्रह्मणोंतिकम्

Transliteration

ityuktvā maṃtriṇaṃ tatra caṃdramāstvarayā'nvitaḥ | brahmalokaṃ sa gatavānyajñārthaṃ brahmaṇoṃtikam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ അവിടെ മന്ത്രിയോട് പറഞ്ഞ ശേഷം, ചന്ദ്രമാവ് അതിവേഗം പ്രേരിതനായി യജ്ഞകാര്യത്തിനായി ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ സന്നിധിയിലേക്കു ബ്രഹ്മലോകത്തേക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यर्थ-निपात) “thus”

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) “having said”

• मन्त्रिणम्: the minister
• मन्त्रिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “minister/counsellor”

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) “there”

• चन्द्रमाः: the Moon
• चन्द्रमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “the Moon”

• त्वरया: with haste
• त्वरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; “with haste”

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + इ (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण “endowed/possessed (with)”

• ब्रह्मलोकम्: to Brahmaloka
• ब्रह्मलोकम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः लोकः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “to Brahmaloka”

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “he”

• गतवान्: went
• गतवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गतवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (perfective past participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “went/has gone”

• यज्ञार्थम्: for the sacrifice
• यज्ञार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (यज्ञस्य अर्थः/यज्ञाय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक “for the sake of the sacrifice”

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; “of Brahmā”

• अन्तिकम्: near (him)
• अन्तिकम्: Gati-karma (Destination/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; “near vicinity/near (to)” (गत्यर्थे गन्तव्यस्थानम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (narrator voice within the chapter context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as yajña destination)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candramā, luminous and crowned, swiftly departs after instructing his minister; he ascends through layered skies toward Brahmā’s radiant realm to arrange the sacrifice.

Characters & Entities

• Candramā (Soma)
• Brahmā
• Brahmaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is advanced through timely, purposeful action—sacrifice (yajña) is treated as a cosmic duty requiring proper authority and preparation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the background sacred field whose yajña-related glory is being unfolded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse signals yajña-ārambha (initiation/preparation for sacrifice), emphasizing arranging the rite through Brahmā’s sanction.