Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इन्द्र उवाच । भगवन्पुण्यमाहात्म्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सांप्रतम् । प्रमाणं चैव सर्वेषां कृतादीनां पृथग्विधम्

Transliteration

indra uvāca | bhagavanpuṇyamāhātmyaṃ śrotumicchāmi sāṃpratam | pramāṇaṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ kṛtādīnāṃ pṛthagvidham

Translation

Indra sprach: „O erhabener Bhagavān, ich wünsche jetzt die heilige Größe (māhātmya) des Verdienstes zu hören und auch die jeweils unterschiedlichen Maße aller Weltzeitalter (Yugas), beginnend mit dem Kṛta.“

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुण्य-माहात्म्यम्: the holy greatness (sacred glory)
• पुण्य-माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रत (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• प्रमाणम्: measure, standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/निपात; emphasis)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कृत-आदीनाम्: of (the yugas) beginning with Kṛta
• कृत-आदीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पृथक्-विधम्: of different kinds, separately classified
• पृथक्-विधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Indra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king addressed indirectly through the narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, hands folded, addresses Brahmā with reverence, requesting the māhātmya of puṇya and the precise measures of the yugas; scribes/ṛṣis appear ready to record.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā
• Kṛta-yuga
• Yugas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Understanding dharma includes understanding time (yuga) and merit (puṇya); inquiry into both is a legitimate spiritual pursuit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse sets up a doctrinal explanation that later supports tīrtha/kṣetra māhātmya by grounding it in cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse requests teaching on puṇya and yuga-pramāṇa.