Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । विचित्रमिदमाख्यानं त्वत्प्रसादाच्छ्रुतं मया । दृष्ट्वा नारायणं शक्रं नारदो मंदरे गिरौ

Transliteration

rājovāca | vicitramidamākhyānaṃ tvatprasādācchrutaṃ mayā | dṛṣṭvā nārāyaṇaṃ śakraṃ nārado maṃdare girau

Translation

قال الملك: «عجيبٌ هذا الخبر الذي سمعته بفضلك. بعد أن رأى نارايانا وشَكرا (إندرا)، ماذا فعل نارادا على جبل ماندارا؟»

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• विचित्रम्: wonderful/strange
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण

• आख्यानम्: narrative/account
• आख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic stem त्वत्)

• प्रसादात्: from (your) grace
• प्रसादात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/करण/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मन्दरे: on Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गिरौ: on the mountain
• गिरौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (वैकल्पिक रूप: गिरौ)

Speaker

Rājā (the king, interlocutor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-giri (as narrative locale)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, hands folded, addresses a sage: ‘Wondrous is this tale…’ In the background, a vignette shows Nārada on Mount Mandara after beholding Nārāyaṇa and Śakra—hinting at the next episode.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Śakra (Indra)
• Nārada
• Mandara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening (śravaṇa) by the grace of the teacher opens access to Purāṇic wisdom and prompts inquiry into dharma-filled divine events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Mandara is referenced as the scene of a divine encounter; the broader frame remains the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse models śāstric inquiry and attentive hearing as a devotional practice.