Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अनेन त्वं कृतः पूर्वमहं पश्चात्त्वया कृतः । ब्रह्मांडं कूर्मरूपेण धृतमस्य प्रसादतः

Transliteration

anena tvaṃ kṛtaḥ pūrvamahaṃ paścāttvayā kṛtaḥ | brahmāṃḍaṃ kūrmarūpeṇa dhṛtamasya prasādataḥ

Translation

“ด้วยพระกรุณาของพระองค์ ท่านถูกเนรมิตขึ้นก่อน แล้วภายหลังข้าพเจ้าจึงถูกเนรมิตโดยท่าน และด้วยพระกรุณาเดียวกันนั้นเอง พรหมาณฑะก็ถูกค้ำจุนไว้ในรูปแห่งพญาเต่า”

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this/through this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (3rd case)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• कृतः: made/created
• कृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case); कर्मणि (made/created)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/first
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (earlier/first)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (afterwards)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (3rd case)

• कृतः: made/created
• कृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st case)

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the universe
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd case)

• कूर्मरूपेण: in the form of a tortoise
• कूर्मरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (कूर्मस्य रूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (3rd case)

• धृतम्: was supported/held
• धृतम्: Kriyā (Action/result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case); कर्मणि (was held/supported)

• अस्य: of him/of this one
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (6th case)

• प्रसादतः: by (his) grace
• प्रसादतः: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; पञ्चमी (5th case); हेत्वर्थे (because of)

Speaker

Viṣṇu (deduced from Kūrma reference and ensuing Brahmā–Viṣṇu–Śiva dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dialogic/cosmic vision: the brahmāṇḍa (golden egg) poised above primal waters, upheld by a colossal tortoise-form; above/behind, Śiva’s grace is indicated as a radiant presence empowering the scene; two divine figures implied in conversation about who was fashioned first.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śiva (Śaṅkara/Hara)
• Kūrma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic functions and divine roles arise through Śiva’s prasāda; humility before the source of grace is dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra within Prabhāsa (Saurāṣṭra/Prabhāsa region) is being praised through the lens of Śiva’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse establishes theological ground for later tīrtha-merit (puṇya) claims.