Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा विबुधान्सर्वान्समाहूय पितामहः । सर्वगात्रेष्वस्पृशत सुरभीः शुद्धिकाम्यया

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vibudhānsarvānsamāhūya pitāmahaḥ | sarvagātreṣvaspṛśata surabhīḥ śuddhikāmyayā

Translation

ഇത് കേട്ട പിതാമഹന്‍ എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരെയും വിളിച്ചു കൂട്ടി, ശുദ്ധി ആഗ്രഹിച്ച് സുരഭിയെ അവളുടെ സകല അവയവങ്ങളിലും സ്പര്‍ശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु √श्रु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive): 'having heard'

• vibudhān: the gods
• vibudhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of vibudhān)

• samāhūya: having summoned
• samāhūya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā + hū (धातु √हू)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive): 'having summoned/called together'

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• sarva-gātreṣu: on all limbs
• sarva-gātreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: 'all limbs'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• aspṛśata: touched
• aspṛśata: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (धातु √स्पृश्)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• surabhīḥ: the Surabhis (divine cows)
• surabhīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surabhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• śuddhi-kāmyayā: with the desire for purification
• śuddhi-kāmyayā: Hetu (Cause/Motive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष: 'desire for purification'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as motive)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; likely Sūta in the wider framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, after hearing the report, calls the assembled gods; with intent to purify, he touches Surabhī across her limbs—an extraordinary rite of cosmic cleansing centered on the divine cow.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Vibudhas (Devas)
• Surabhī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is treated as a sacred aim (śuddhi-kāmyā), pursued through sanctioned contact with holy beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where themes of śuddhi (purification) are dramatized through divine actions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A purificatory act is implied: ritual touch/contact with Surabhī for śuddhi.