Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मम वामे स्थितो विष्णुर्दक्षिणे च पितामहः । जठरे चतुरो वेदाः हृदये ब्रह्म शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

mama vāme sthito viṣṇurdakṣiṇe ca pitāmahaḥ | jaṭhare caturo vedāḥ hṛdaye brahma śāśvatam

Translation

Sa aking kaliwa ay naroon si Viṣṇu, at sa aking kanan ang Pitāmaha (Brahmā). Sa aking tiyan nananahan ang apat na Veda; sa aking puso ay ang walang-hanggang Brahman.

Word by Word

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• vāme: on the left (side)
• vāme: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: situated
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dakṣiṇe: on the right (side)
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jaṭhare: in the belly
• jaṭhare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• caturaḥ: four
• caturaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying vedāḥ)

• vedāḥ: Vedas
• vedāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• hṛdaye: in the heart
• hṛdaye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• brahma: Brahman (the Absolute)
• brahma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• śāśvatam: eternal
• śāśvatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying brahma)

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as the cosmic axis: Viṣṇu standing to his left, Brahmā to his right; within Śiva’s torso the four Vedas symbolically inscribed; a radiant heart-lotus bearing Brahman light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Vedas
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It harmonizes Vedic authority and Purāṇic devotion by presenting Śiva as the inner ground of the Vedas and the Trimūrti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such cosmic theology is revealed in connection with Kālāgniliṅga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse establishes theological unity supporting worship at the site.