Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

लक्षेणैकेन तत्प्रोक्तं द्वापरान्ते महात्मना । वाल्मीकिना च यत्प्रोक्तं रामोपाख्यानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

lakṣeṇaikena tatproktaṃ dvāparānte mahātmanā | vālmīkinā ca yatproktaṃ rāmopākhyānamuttamam

Translation

ذلك السرد العظيم نطق به العارف الجليل في ختام عصر الدوابارا بمقدار لَكْشَةٍ واحدة (مئة ألف بيت)؛ كما أعلن فالمِيكي أيضًا قصةَ راما السامية.

Word by Word

• लक्षेण: by a lakh (measure)
• लक्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with a lakh)

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by one)

• तत्: that (work/statement)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, nominative singular (that)

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle (spoken/declared)

• द्वापरान्ते: at the end of the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (at the end of Dvāpara)

• महात्मना: by the great sage
• महात्मना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by the great-souled one)

• वाल्मीकिना: by Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by Vālmīki)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; Conjunction (and)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun (which/that)

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle (spoken)

• रामोपाख्यानम्: the excellent narrative of Rāma
• रामोपाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-उपाख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative/accusative singular (Rāma-episode/narrative)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Adjective agreeing with रामोपाख्यानम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the Mahābhārata as a vast manuscript (one lakh verses) and Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa as a luminous scroll; yuga-cycle imagery (Dvāpara ending) frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vālmīki
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The great epics are upheld as authoritative dharma-guides transmitted through exalted sages across yuga transitions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Prabhāsa māhātmya by grounding the discourse in recognized scriptural tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement about sacred literature and its transmission.