Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणश्चौररूपेण तत्र स्थानेऽवसत्पुरा । स च मे भक्तियोगेन पुरा वै धनदः कृतः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaścaurarūpeṇa tatra sthāne'vasatpurā | sa ca me bhaktiyogena purā vai dhanadaḥ kṛtaḥ

Translation

ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് മുമ്പ് ഒരു ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ കള്ളന്റെ രൂപത്തിൽ വസിച്ചിരുന്നു; അവൻ എന്റെ ഭക്തിയോഗം മൂലം പുരാതനകാലത്തുതന്നെ ‘ധനദ’യായി മാറ്റപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चौररूपेण: in the form of a thief
• चौररूपेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चौरस्य रूपम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अवसत्: dwelt, lived
• अवसत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic form)

• भक्तियोगेन: by devotion-yoga
• भक्तियोगेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भक्तेः योगः)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• धनदः: Dhanada (Kubera)
• धनदः: Karta (कर्ता) / Predicate nominative
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Kubera)

• कृतः: made, rendered (became)
• कृतः: Kriyā (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘अभूत्/अस्ति’ इत्यर्थे विधेय

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kubera-sthāna (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa in humble, conflicted posture, partially masked as a thief, stands before a liṅga/shrine at Kubera-sthāna; a radiant Śiva presence (or symbolic light) signifies bhakti transforming him into Kubera/Dhanada with treasure pot and yakṣa insignia.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kubera/Dhanada
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Kuberasthāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is depicted as redemptive power: even a morally fallen life can be uplifted into divine office through sincere devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kuberasthāna at Prabhāsa, where the transformative story is anchored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is specified; the verse highlights bhakti-yoga (devotional discipline) as the efficacious means.