Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वेणुरुवाच । यदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतां द्विजसत्तमाः । पूर्वदेहांतरे वृत्तं सर्वं सत्यं विशेषतः

Transliteration

veṇuruvāca | yadahaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi śrūyatāṃ dvijasattamāḥ | pūrvadehāṃtare vṛttaṃ sarvaṃ satyaṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Veṇu sprach: „Was ich nun berichten werde—hört zu, o Beste der Zweimalgeborenen. Es ist alles, was in einer früheren Verkörperung geschah, und es ist in besonderer Weise ganz und gar wahr.“

Word by Word

• वेणुः: Venu (name)
• वेणुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain/tell fully
• संप्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-, प्र-

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘let it be heard’

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन; समास: द्विजानां सत्तमाः (श्रेष्ठाः)

• पूर्वदेहान्तरे: in a former body (previous incarnation)
• पूर्वदेहान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + देह + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समास: पूर्वस्य देहस्य अन्तरे

• वृत्तम्: what happened, the event
• वृत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वृत्तम्’)

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• विशेषतः: especially, in particular
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Veṇu (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣayaḥ (dvija-sattamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Veṇu, composed and earnest, begins a solemn confession-like narrative; sages sit in attentive śravaṇa posture. The shrine remains nearby, but the focus shifts to storytelling—suggesting a transition into a flashback of a former life.

Characters & Entities

• Veṇu
• Dvijasattamāḥ (brahmin sages)
• Past birth (pūrvadehāntara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic māhātmya often grounds present devotion in past-life merit, showing continuity of karma and grace across births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa sacred setting; the site’s sanctity is implied through its power to shape destiny across lives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed here; the verse introduces a truthful account explaining the basis of the king’s devotional practice.