Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सोमेन प्रार्थितो देवो बालरूपी पितामहः । आगतश्चाष्टवर्षस्तु ह्युन्नते स्थान उत्तमे

Transliteration

somena prārthito devo bālarūpī pitāmahaḥ | āgataścāṣṭavarṣastu hyunnate sthāna uttame

Translation

ସୋମଙ୍କ ପ୍ରାର୍ଥନାରେ ଦେବ ପିତାମହ ବ୍ରହ୍ମା ବାଳରୂପ ଧାରଣ କରି, ଆଠ ବର୍ଷର ଶିଶୁ ହୋଇ, ସେଇ ଉତ୍ତମ ଉଚ୍ଚ ପୁଣ୍ୟସ୍ଥାନକୁ ଆସିଲେ।

Word by Word

• सोमेन: by Soma
• सोमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• प्रार्थितः: requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘प्रार्थित’ = requested

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• बालरूपी: in the form of a child
• बालरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बालस्य रूपी/रूपवान्)

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Grandfather; Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; देवविशेष (Brahmā)

• आगतः: came
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• अष्टवर्षः: eight years old
• अष्टवर्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्ट वर्षाणि यस्य/अष्टवर्षीयः)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक निपात

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle ‘indeed/for’)

• उन्नते: elevated
• उन्नते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्नत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with स्थाने)

• स्थाने: in a place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• उत्तमे: excellent
• उत्तमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with स्थाने)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnata-sthāna (Brahmā’s bāla-prādurbhāva spot) within Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma, radiant and moon-crowned, stands in reverent supplication at a raised sacred precinct; Brahmā appears as a serene eight-year-old child with subtle divine marks, holding a tiny kamaṇḍalu/lotus; sages and pilgrims witness in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Unnata-sthāna (elevated sacred place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace responds to sincere prayer; sacred places manifest extraordinary divine forms for the uplift of devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

An ‘elevated excellent place’ within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, connected in this chapter with Brahmā’s manifestation (contextually tied to Brahmakuṇḍa/Unnata-sthāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; the verse establishes the origin-story (āgama) for later worship at the site.