Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्रीब्रह्मेशानावूचतुः । भोभोः क्षेत्राणि तीर्थानि सरांसि सागरादयः । प्रयागादीनि तीर्थानि काश्याद्या मुक्तिदायकाः

Transliteration

śrībrahmeśānāvūcatuḥ | bhobhoḥ kṣetrāṇi tīrthāni sarāṃsi sāgarādayaḥ | prayāgādīni tīrthāni kāśyādyā muktidāyakāḥ

Translation

พระศรีพรหมาและพระอีศานตรัสว่า: โอ้ โอ้! แดนศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ตีรถะ สระน้ำ มหาสมุทรและอื่น ๆ—ตีรถะเช่นประยาคะ และสถานที่เริ่มด้วยกาศี ล้วนเป็นผู้ประทานโมกษะ

Word by Word

• श्रीब्रह्मेशानौ: Śrī Brahmā and Īśāna (Śiva)
• श्रीब्रह्मेशानौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + ब्रह्मन् + ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—(श्री- उपपद) + द्वन्द्वः (ब्रह्मा च ईशानः च)

• ऊचतुः: they two said
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपद

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• क्षेत्राणि: sacred places
• क्षेत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सरांसि: lakes
• सरांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सागरादयः: oceans and the like
• सागरादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सागरः आदिः येषाम्)

• प्रयागादीनि: Prayāga and others
• प्रयागादीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रयागः आदिः येषाम्)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage spots
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• काश्याद्याः: Kāśī and others
• काश्याद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (काशी आदिः यासाम्)

• मुक्तिदायकाः: granting liberation
• मुक्तिदायकाः: Visheshana (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तिं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Brahmā and Īśāna (Maheśa/Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual focal tīrtha), with exemplars Prayāga and Kāśī cited

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied: assembled kṣetras/tīrthas (personified) and the narrative audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā and Īśāna proclaim before an imagined congregation of personified tīrthas—rivers, lakes, oceans—while the names Prayāga and Kāśī appear as luminous emblems of liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Īśāna (Śiva)
• Prayāga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Tīrthas
• Oceans
• Lakes

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is dharma with soteriological power—certain kṣetras and tīrthas are explicitly praised as granting mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga and Kāśī are directly named as liberation-giving tīrthas, within the broader Dvārakā Māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse categorizes sacred places and emphasizes their mokṣa-bestowing potency.