Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यद्देवतानां प्रथमं पवित्रं विश्वव्रतं पाशुपतं बभूव । अयं पन्था नैष्ठिको वै मयोक्तो येन देवा यांति भुवनानि विश्वा

Transliteration

yaddevatānāṃ prathamaṃ pavitraṃ viśvavrataṃ pāśupataṃ babhūva | ayaṃ panthā naiṣṭhiko vai mayokto yena devā yāṃti bhuvanāni viśvā

Translation

พรตปาศุปตะนั้นซึ่งเป็นเครื่องชำระอันประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่เทพ และเป็นปณิธานสากล—นี่แลคือหนทางมั่นคงที่เราประกาศไว้ ซึ่งโดยหนทางนี้เหล่าเทพย่อมบรรลุโลกทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• देवतानाम्: of the deities
• देवतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Plural)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• पवित्रम्: pure/sacred
• पवित्रम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• विश्व-व्रतम्: universal vow
• विश्व-व्रतम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (viśvaṃ vratam = universal vow); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पाशुपतम्: Pāśupata (pertaining to Paśupati)
• पाशुपतम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• पन्थाः: path
• पन्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन्/पन्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नैष्ठिकः: steadfast/leading to the highest goal
• नैष्ठिकः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैष्ठिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘पन्थाः’ (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (indeclinable; indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent expressed in instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुष; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular)

• उक्तः: said
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मया उक्तः’ = ‘said by me’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental, Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, 3rd person, Plural)

• भुवनानि: worlds
• भुवनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• विश्वा: all
• विश्वा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘भुवनानि’ (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa—Pāśupateśvara/Pāśupata-mārga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda proclaims the Pāśupata vow as a radiant path; devas are shown ascending through luminous spheres/worlds, guided by Śiva’s sign and ash-marked discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ
• Pāśupata-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva presents the Pāśupata observance as a universally purifying, steadfast path that leads to higher realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, especially the sphere of Pāśupateśvara, where the Pāśupata teaching is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights adherence to the Pāśupata vrata as a disciplined spiritual path (naiṣṭhika), without detailing steps here.