Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके देव बालरूपी पितामहः । स कथं पूज्यते लोकैः परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्

Transliteration

kṣetre prābhāsike deva bālarūpī pitāmahaḥ | sa kathaṃ pūjyate lokaiḥ parabrahmasvarūpavān

Translation

اے پروردگار، پربھاس کے مقدس کشترا میں پِتامہ (برہما) بالک کے روپ میں موجود ہیں۔ جو پرَب्रहمن کی حقیقت رکھتے ہیں، لوگوں کو ان کی پوجا کیسے کرنی چاہیے؟

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• प्राभासिके: of Prabhāsa
• प्राभासिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; ‘क्षेत्रे’ इति विशेषण

• देव: O god (O Lord)
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• बालरूपी: having the form of a child
• बालरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल-रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘पितामहः’ इति विशेषण

• पितामहः: Pitāmaha (Brahmā, the grandsire)
• पितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• लोकैः: by people
• लोकैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; कर्तृकरणभावे (agent in passive)

• परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्: possessing the nature/form of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्मस्वरूपवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-ब्रह्म-स्वरूप-वत् (प्रातिपदिक; घटकाः: पर + ब्रह्म + स्वरूप + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘सः/पितामहः’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Bāla-Pitāmaha/Brahmā presence)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara/Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks about worship in Prabhāsa where Pitāmaha appears as a child, yet is of the nature of Supreme Brahman; the scene invites depiction of a child-Brahmā icon in a coastal shrine setting.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Bālarūpa (child-form)
• Para Brahman
• Deva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can be approached through approachable sacred forms; Devī asks how transcendent Brahman is honored via Brahmā’s icon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prābhāsika kṣetra), highlighting Brahmā’s presence there in a distinctive child-form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No steps are given yet; the verse is an inquiry about the correct method of worship.