Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । नारदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा महिषः कामपीडितः । श्रवणादपि राजेंद्र पुनः पप्रच्छ तं मुनिम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | nāradasya vacaḥ śrutvā mahiṣaḥ kāmapīḍitaḥ | śravaṇādapi rājeṃdra punaḥ papraccha taṃ munim

Translation

قال بولستيا: لما سمع مهيشا كلام نارادا، وقد أضناه الهوى—أيها الملك—بل لمجرد السماع أيضًا، عاد فسأل ذلك الحكيم مرة أخرى.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th); एकवचन

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव

• महिषः: the buffalo(-demon)
• महिषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• कामपीडितः: tormented by desire
• कामपीडितः: Visheshana (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-पीडित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (कामेन/कामस्य पीडितः)

• श्रवणात्: from hearing; by hearing
• श्रवणात्: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th); एकवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: 'even/also')

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

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

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुनिम्: the sage
• मुनिम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Pulastya) narrates to a king; in the foreground Mahīṣa, agitated by desire after hearing Nārada’s words, leans forward to question again; a hermitage setting with palm-leaf manuscripts and sacrificial implements.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Nārada
• Mahiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire can be stirred even by hearing; therefore dharma teachings emphasize vigilance at every sensory doorway.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, tied to the sanctity of the Arbuda region’s sacred narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition in the dialogue.