Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यदा प्राभासिके क्षेत्रे ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । आगतश्चाष्टवर्षस्तु बालरूपी तदोच्यते

Transliteration

yadā prābhāsike kṣetre brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ | āgataścāṣṭavarṣastu bālarūpī tadocyate

Translation

جب برہما، جو جہانوں کے پِتامہ ہیں، پرابھاسک مقدّس کھیتر میں آتے ہیں تو انہیں بال روپ کہا جاتا ہے—آٹھ برس کی عمر والا۔

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction): "when"

• प्राभासिके: in/at Prābhāsika
• प्राभासिके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (locative singular neuter adjective)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): लोकस्य पितामहः ("grandfather of the worlds")

• आगतः: having come/arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Predicate adjective to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/ppp), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समनाधिकरण-विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

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

• अष्टवर्षः: eight years old
• अष्टवर्षः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound): अष्ट वर्षाणि यस्य सः ("eight-year-old")

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधारण (particle: but/indeed)

• बालरूपी: child-formed
• बालरूपी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-भावार्थे): बालरूपः ("in the form of a child")

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): "then"

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (is said/called)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continuing the explanation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prābhāsika-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, lokapitāmaha, arrives at Prabhāsa and appears as an eight-year-old child—four-faced yet childlike, seated on a small lotus, surrounded by astonished devas and pilgrims; the kṣetra glows with rejuvenating light.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a mahā-kṣetra, even the highest beings display humility and transformation, highlighting the place’s divine potency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prābhāsika kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a sacred phenomenon associated with entering the kṣetra.