Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । ब्रह्मणा स्थापितं दृष्ट्वा सरः परमशोभनम् । इन्द्रश्चक्रे महाभागः सरः परमशोभनम्

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | brahmaṇā sthāpitaṃ dṛṣṭvā saraḥ paramaśobhanam | indraścakre mahābhāgaḥ saraḥ paramaśobhanam

Translation

พระหลาดกล่าวว่า: ครั้นได้เห็นสระศักดิ์สิทธิ์อันงดงามยิ่ง ซึ่งพระพรหมทรงสถาปนาแล้ว พระอินทร์ผู้มีบุญก็ได้สร้างสระอันงดงามยิ่งขึ้น ณ ที่นั้นด้วย

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्थापितम्: established/constructed
• स्थापितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सरः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• सरः: the lake/pond
• सरः: Karman (Object of 'dṛṣṭvā')
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• परमशोभनम्: most beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय): परमं शोभनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सरः)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made/constructed
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• महाभागः: the greatly fortunate
• महाभागः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय): महान् भागः यस्य; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying इन्द्रः)

• सरः: a lake/pond
• सरः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• परमशोभनम्: most beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय): परमं शोभनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सरः)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmā-saras and Indra-saras (paired sacred lakes)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda narrates while pointing to a radiant lotus-filled lake; Brahmā’s presence is suggested by a lotus-throne motif; Indra, crowned and holding vajra, is shown commissioning or shaping a second gleaming tank nearby, with celestial artisans.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Brahmā
• Indra
• Saraḥ (sacred lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places are upheld by divine precedent—when gods establish tīrthas, devotees inherit a powerful field for purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘Indrapada’/divine lake (saras) tradition within the Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse introduces the tīrtha’s divine establishment as the basis for later merit.