Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

असंख्येय प्रभावं हि प्रभासं परिकीर्तितम् । ब्रह्मतत्त्वं विष्णुतत्त्वं रौद्रतत्त्वं तथैव च

Transliteration

asaṃkhyeya prabhāvaṃ hi prabhāsaṃ parikīrtitam | brahmatattvaṃ viṣṇutattvaṃ raudratattvaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

പ്രഭാസത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവം വാസ്തവത്തിൽ അപരിമിതമെന്ന് കീര്ത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; കാരണം അവിടെ ബ്രഹ്മതത്ത്വം, വിഷ്ണുതത്ത്വം, കൂടാതെ രൗദ്രതത്ത്വവും സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്।

Word by Word

• असंख्येयम्: innumerable
• असंख्येयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्येय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'प्रभावम्')

• प्रभावम्: power/efficacy
• प्रभावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (place)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितम्: is declared/described
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मणि-प्रयोगे 'प्रभासम्' इत्यस्य विधेयम्

• ब्रह्मतत्त्वम्: the Brahma-principle
• ब्रह्मतत्त्वम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Brahman's principle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विष्णुतत्त्वम्: the Viṣṇu-principle
• विष्णुतत्त्वम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रौद्रतत्त्वम्: the Rudra-principle
• रौद्रतत्त्वम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (Rudra-related principle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prabhāsa visualized as a radiant kṣetra where three luminous presences—Brahmā (golden), Viṣṇu (blue), Rudra (ashen/white)—stand as subtle tattvas over the landscape, not merely as separate deities.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Brahma-tattva
• Viṣṇu-tattva
• Raudra-tattva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest tīrtha is where divine principles converge—Prabhāsa is praised as a locus of unified sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa, declared to have immeasurable prabhāva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse asserts doctrinal greatness (tattva-sānnidhya) as Prabhāsa’s hallmark.