Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तः स तदा ब्रह्मा प्रारेभे यज्ञमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ityuktaḥ sa tadā brahmā prārebhe yajñamuttamam

Translation

इत्युक्तः स तदा ब्रह्मा तस्मिन् काले यज्ञमुत्तमं प्रारेभे।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक)

• उक्तः: having been addressed / spoken to
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स)

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = temporal adverb

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (apposition to सः)

• प्रारेभे: began
• प्रारेभे: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रभ् (धातु) + प्र-उपसर्ग
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यज्ञम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: narrative continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (yajña-sthala within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, four-faced, seated near a freshly prepared yajña-kuṇḍa; priests arrange darbha, ladles, and samidh; sacred fire is kindled as mantras rise over the coastal kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After divine sanction, dharmic ritual is undertaken—showing that worship and yajña proceed best under divine approval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The yajña is commenced within the sanctified Prabhāsa-kṣetra region previously delimited by key tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Commencement of a yajña (sacrificial rite) is explicitly stated.