Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथ ब्रह्मा प्रहृष्टात्मा दृष्ट्वा तं मुनिदारकम् । मत्प्रसादादयं बालो भावी कल्पायुरब्रवीत्

Transliteration

atha brahmā prahṛṣṭātmā dṛṣṭvā taṃ munidārakam | matprasādādayaṃ bālo bhāvī kalpāyurabravīt

Translation

تب برہما دل سے نہایت مسرور ہوا؛ اُس مُنی کے بچے کو دیکھ کر فرمایا: “میری کرپا سے یہ بالک ایک کلپ تک کی عمر پائے گا۔”

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• prahṛṣṭātmā: delighted at heart
• prahṛṣṭātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of Brahmā/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-hṛṣṭa (प्रहृष्ट) + ātman (आत्मन्)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि समास; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular: whose self is delighted)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): having seen

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular: him)

• munidārakam: the sage’s boy
• munidārakam: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (मुनि) + dāraka (दारक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (muni-‘of a sage’ + boy); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• matprasādāt: from my grace
• matprasādāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (मद्) + prasāda (प्रसाद)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (my + grace); पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular: from my grace)

• ayam: this (boy)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• bālaḥ: boy
• bālaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (बाल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• bhāvī: destined to be
• bhāvī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of boy/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु) + णिनि (भाविन्)
• Form: कृदन्त (future-oriented adjective: ‘to be’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kalpāyuḥ: (having) a kalpa-long life
• kalpāyuḥ: Karma/Predicate (Object complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (कल्प) + āyus (आयुस्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (kalpa-extent + lifespan); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative singular: lifespan of a kalpa)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Brahmaloka, Brahmā—four-faced, seated on a lotus—looks upon a young sage-child and pronounces a boon of kalpa-long life; sages stand reverently, hands folded, radiance filling the hall.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• munidāraka (sage’s child)
• kalpa (aeon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine anugraha (grace) can transform destiny, especially when invoked to uphold satya and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is set in Brahmaloka; the broader account belongs to Arbuda-khaṇḍa, connected to the tīrthas of Mount Arbuda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the focus is on Brahmā’s boon granting kalpāyuḥ (aeon-long life).