Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मीमांसां धर्मशास्त्रं च परिगृह्यात्मसात्कृतम् । मत्स्यरूपेण च पुनः कल्पादावुदकार्णवे

Transliteration

mīmāṃsāṃ dharmaśāstraṃ ca parigṛhyātmasātkṛtam | matsyarūpeṇa ca punaḥ kalpādāvudakārṇave

Translation

他摄受弥曼萨（Mīmāṃsā）与诸法论（Dharma-śāstra），使之尽归己有；又在劫初，于宇宙大海之中，示现为鱼身——摩蹉（Matsya）。

Word by Word

• मीमांसाम्: Mīmāṃsā
• मीमांसाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मीमांसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• धर्मशास्त्रम्: Dharmaśāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + शास्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• परिगृह्य: having taken up
• परिगृह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि√ग्रह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having taken/accepted’ (Absolutive)

• आत्मसात्कृतम्: made (them) his own
• आत्मसात्कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आत्मसात्√कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त); आत्मसात् (अव्यय) + कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘made one’s own/appropriated’ (Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• मत्स्यरूपेण: in the form of a fish
• मत्स्यरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; मत्स्य + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) (indeclinable adverb)

• कल्पादौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्पादौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; कल्प + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• उदकार्णवे: in the ocean of waters
• उदकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक-अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक; उदक + अर्णव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the boundless cosmic ocean at kalpa’s beginning, Viṣṇu as Matsya rises, bearing the weight of preserved śāstra—Mīmāṃsā and Dharma treatises—symbolized as sealed manuscripts or radiant syllables protected from dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Matsya (Fish incarnation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma and sacred knowledge are divinely preserved across cosmic cycles, ensuring guidance for beings in every age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse itself focuses on cosmic preservation rather than a single tirtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is doctrinal, describing the safeguarding of śāstra through the Matsya form.