Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

नमः पितृभ्यः सप्तभ्यो नमो लोकेषु सप्तसु । स्वयंभुवे नमस्यामो ब्रह्मणे योगचक्षुषे

Transliteration

namaḥ pitṛbhyaḥ saptabhyo namo lokeṣu saptasu | svayaṃbhuve namasyāmo brahmaṇe yogacakṣuṣe

Translation

ସପ୍ତ ପିତୃବର୍ଗଙ୍କୁ ନମଃ; ସପ୍ତ ଲୋକରେ ନମସ୍କାର। ଯୋଗଚକ୍ଷୁସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ସ୍ୱୟଂଭୂ ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ଆମେ ପ୍ରଣାମ କରୁ।

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोगः; नमस्कारार्थक-अव्यय (salutation particle)

• पितृभ्यः: to the Pitṛs
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• सप्तभ्यः: to the seven
• सप्तभ्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नमस्कारार्थक-अव्यय

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• सप्तसु: seven
• सप्तसु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• स्वयंभुवे: to Svayambhū (the self-born)
• स्वयंभुवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नमस्यामः: we bow
• नमस्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (शब्दः ब्रह्मन्), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योगचक्षुषे: to (him) with yogic sight
• योगचक्षुषे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (योगेन चक्षुः यस्य/योगचक्षुः)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered cosmic tableau: seven ancestral tiers below, seven worlds rising above, and at the summit Svayambhū Brahmā seated on a lotus, eyes half-closed with yogic vision; the devotee offers salutations from the earthly plane of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Sapta-loka
• Svayambhū
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral worship is cosmic in scope—linking family lineage to the seven worlds and the primordial creator principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Śrāddha performed with correct invocations is praised as highly meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of salutations to the seven Pitṛ groups and remembrance of Svayambhū Brahmā during Śrāddha preliminaries.