Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पितामहमहत्त्वं स्यात्तथा शीघ्रं विधीयताम् । ब्रह्मणो वचनं श्रुत्वा विष्णुना स प्रमोदितः

Transliteration

pitāmahamahattvaṃ syāttathā śīghraṃ vidhīyatām | brahmaṇo vacanaṃ śrutvā viṣṇunā sa pramoditaḥ

Translation

‘പിതാമഹ’ എന്ന മഹത്വവും പദവിയും സ്ഥാപിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ—അത് വേഗത്തിൽ നടപ്പാക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ. ബ്രഹ്മന്റെ വചനം കേട്ട് അദ്ദേഹം വിഷ്ണുവാൽ ആനന്ദിതനായി.

Word by Word

• पितामहमहत्त्वम्: the greatness/status of Pitāmaha
• पितामहमहत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक) + महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितामहस्य महत्त्वम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: may it be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तथा: thus, accordingly
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् (quickly)

• विधीयताम्: let it be done/ordained
• विधीयताम्: Kriyā (Injunctive/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive); आत्मनेपद

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वचनम्: the statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karta/Agent (in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रमोदितः: delighted, gladdened
• प्रमोदितः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + मुद् (धातु) → प्रमोदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सः इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (describing response involving Viṣṇu; exact ‘he’ context continues from surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moment of affirmation: the ‘Pitāmaha’ greatness is to be established swiftly; Viṣṇu’s presence brings joy/approval to the addressed figure.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Pitāmaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic titles and authority are not self-assumed; they are ‘ordained’ within divine order and affirmed by higher harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra (Prabhāsa) remains the māhātmya setting; the theological narrative magnifies the sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.