Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एकवीर्योद्भवा यूयं स्वस्रीया देवदानवाः । भूमौ स्थिता वयं कस्माद्देवाः केनोपरिकृताः

Transliteration

ekavīryodbhavā yūyaṃ svasrīyā devadānavāḥ | bhūmau sthitā vayaṃ kasmāddevāḥ kenoparikṛtāḥ

Translation

พวกท่าน—ทั้งเทวะและทานวะ—กำเนิดจากวีรบุรุษต้นกำเนิดเดียวกัน และเป็นญาติกันด้วยสายพี่น้องฝ่ายสตรี; แล้วเหตุใดพวกเราจึงถูกตั้งไว้บนแผ่นดิน และผู้ใดเล่าจัดให้เหล่าเทวะอยู่เหนือพวกเรา?

Word by Word

• एक: one
• एक: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद)

• वीर्य: power, potency
• वीर्य: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासमध्यपद)

• उद्भवाः: born from, originating
• उद्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; (समासोत्तरपद)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वस्रीयाः: sister-born/related through a sister
• स्वस्रीयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्रीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; विशेषण (स्वसुः अपत्य/सम्बन्धिनः)

• देवदानवाः: gods and demons
• देवदानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• भूमौ: on earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: standing, staying
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कस्मात्: why? from what cause?
• कस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

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

• केन: by whom? by what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

• उपरिकृताः: placed above, elevated
• उपरिकृताः: Predicate/Complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपरि + कृ (धातु) → उपरिकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (विधेय), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP); उपसर्ग/अव्यय-पूर्वक

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual speaker within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Dānava voice questions the cosmic order: Devas and Dānavas shown as kin, yet separated by rank—Devas elevated, Dānavas grounded on earth; the mood is accusatory and rhetorical.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Dānavas
• Bhūmi (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic status is determined by dharma and merit rather than mere lineage; kinship does not override righteous order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question is voiced within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), a sacred-geography discourse that frames cosmic hierarchy around tīrtha-merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is directly mentioned in this shloka.