Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

बालरूपी महादेवि यत्र ब्रह्मा स्वयं स्थितः । तस्यैव चोत्तरे भागे धनुषां त्रितये स्थितम्

Transliteration

bālarūpī mahādevi yatra brahmā svayaṃ sthitaḥ | tasyaiva cottare bhāge dhanuṣāṃ tritaye sthitam

Translation

ହେ ମହାଦେବୀ, ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ବ୍ରହ୍ମା ସ୍ୱୟଂ ଦିବ୍ୟ ବାଳରୂପେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ, ସେହି ସ୍ଥାନର ଉତ୍ତର ଭାଗରେ ତିନି ଧନୁଷ ଦୂରେ (ଏହି ପବିତ୍ର ତୀର୍ଥ) ଅବସ୍ଥିତ।

Word by Word

• बालरूपी: having the form of a boy
• बालरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बालस्य रूपं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (relative adverb)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Emphasis on agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (emphatic adverb)

• स्थितः: is situated, stands
• स्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• तस्य: of that (place/shrine)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

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

• उत्तरे: in the northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• भागे: part, region
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनम्

• धनुषाम्: of bows (as a measure)
• धनुषाम्: Sambandha (Measure relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural)

• त्रितये: at a triad (threefold measure)
• त्रितये: Adhikarana (Measure-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• स्थितम्: situated, located
• स्थितम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; (लिङ्गम्/स्थानम् implied)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya style: addressing Devī as 'Mahādevī/varavarṇinī')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bāla-Brahmā-sthāna (adjacent marker for the shrine)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred precinct: a child-form Brahmā (bāla-rūpī) seated or standing in a small sanctified spot; to the north, a nearby liṅga shrine indicated by a short measured distance (three bow-lengths), with pilgrims orienting themselves by cardinal direction.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are mapped with reverence and precision; proximity to Brahmā’s presence magnifies the sanctity of the shrine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), described through a landmark where Brahmā abides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse primarily gives a tīrtha-location indicator.