Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यथा सुराणां प्रवरो देवदेवो महेश्वरः । नदीनां च यथा गंगा वर्णानां ब्राह्मणो यथा

Transliteration

yathā surāṇāṃ pravaro devadevo maheśvaraḥ | nadīnāṃ ca yathā gaṃgā varṇānāṃ brāhmaṇo yathā

Translation

正如众神之神大自在天（摩醯首罗）为诸天之最上；正如恒河为诸河之最上；又正如婆罗门为诸种姓之最上——

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रवरः: the foremost
• प्रवरः: Vidhaya (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• देवदेवः: the god of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• नदीनाम्: of rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वर्णानाम्: of the varṇas/classes
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: the brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triadic tableau of supremacy: Śiva as Devadeva, Gaṅgā as queen of rivers, and a serene brāhmaṇa embodying varṇa-śreṣṭhatā—used as an opening benediction before the Prabhāsa narrative unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Śiva
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching often establishes greatness through revered analogies—Śiva, Gaṅgā, and dharmic order are invoked to frame what follows as supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; it sets up a comparison framework for proclaiming a highest principle or text in the next verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a laudatory (stuti) setup using hierarchical comparisons.