Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । सर्वमेव करिष्यामो देवस्य परिपालनम् । यावन्मही च चंद्रार्कौ यावत्तिष्ठति सागरः । तावत्ते ह्यक्षया कीर्तिः स्थाने चास्मिन्भविष्यति

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | sarvameva kariṣyāmo devasya paripālanam | yāvanmahī ca caṃdrārkau yāvattiṣṭhati sāgaraḥ | tāvatte hyakṣayā kīrtiḥ sthāne cāsminbhaviṣyati

Translation

พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายกล่าวว่า “พวกเราจักกระทำทุกประการเพื่อพิทักษ์และบำรุงองค์พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ตราบเท่าที่แผ่นดิน จันทร์และสุริยะยังดำรงอยู่ ตราบเท่าที่มหาสมุทรยังคงอยู่ เท่านั้นแลเกียรติยศของท่านจักไม่เสื่อมสูญ และจักสถิตอยู่ ณ สถานที่นี้เอง”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: the brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उच्/ऊच् (लिट्-रूप)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• करिष्यामः: we will do
• करिष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• परिपालनम्: protection/maintenance
• परिपालनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + पाल् (धातु) → परिपालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक (as long as)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• चन्द्रार्कौ: the moon and the sun
• चन्द्रार्कौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time limit/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिवाचक

• तिष्ठति: stands/remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सागरः: the ocean
• सागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Correlative time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावदर्थक (so long/that long)

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी—‘तव’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अक्षया: imperishable
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कीर्तिः)

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्थाने: in the place
• स्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (Nāgara dvijas) (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgarāditya/Nāgarārka at Someśapura

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The patron/king (and assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāgara brāhmaṇas respond with a solemn vow before the deity: they will protect and maintain the Lord as long as earth, sun, moon endure and the ocean remains; the sea is visible beyond the temple.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• the Deva (installed deity/image implied)
• earth
• moon
• sun
• ocean

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sevā is dharma: steadfast communal guardianship of a holy image sustains both the tīrtha and the protector’s lasting kīrti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This place in Prabhāsa-kṣetra where the deity/image is installed and protected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Paripālana—ongoing protection/maintenance of the deity (a standing vow rather than a one-time ritual).