Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अप्सु शेते देवदेवः स च नारायणः स्मृतः । स ब्रह्मा स शिवो नास्ति भेदस्तेषां परस्परम्

Transliteration

apsu śete devadevaḥ sa ca nārāyaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ | sa brahmā sa śivo nāsti bhedasteṣāṃ parasparam

Translation

దేవదేవుడు మహాజలములపై శయనించుచున్నాడు; ఆయనే నారాయణుడని స్మరింపబడును. ఆయనే బ్రహ్మ, ఆయనే శివ—వారిలో పరస్పర భేదము లేదు.

Word by Word

• apsu: in the waters
• apsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (अप्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रयोग), सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• śete: lies, reclines
• śete: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śī (शी धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd person singular, middle)

• devadevaḥ: God of gods
• devadevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक) + deva (देव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is called, is known as
• smṛtaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कथ्यते/उच्यते’ (is called/remembered)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd person singular)

• bhedaḥ: difference
• bhedaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• parasparam: mutually, between each other
• parasparam: Sambandha (Reciprocal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोग)
• Form: परस्परम्—क्रियाविशेषण/सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (mutually; adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice within Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāmana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārāyaṇa reclines upon the cosmic waters; within/around him are suggested the presences of Brahmā and Śiva as non-separate aspects—one radiance with three recognitions.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Brahmā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches the essential oneness of Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa), Brahmā, and Śiva, discouraging sectarian division.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, linking theological unity to the sanctity of the Prabhāsa region and its kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it is primarily a theological declaration supporting kṣetra-māhātmya devotion.