Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

जन्मान्तरकृतं पुण्यं परं कौतूहलं हि मे । कथयस्व प्रसादेन विस्तरेण द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

janmāntarakṛtaṃ puṇyaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me | kathayasva prasādena vistareṇa dvijottama

Translation

„Das Verdienst, das ich in einem früheren Leben erworben habe, ist mir ein großes Rätsel und Verlangen. Aus Gnade, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, berichte es mir vollständig und ausführlich.“

Word by Word

• जन्म-अन्तर-कृतम्: done in a previous birth
• जन्म-अन्तर-कृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (√कृ धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (janma-antara: in another birth) + क्त-कृदन्त

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• परम्: great, supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुबोधक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथयस्व: tell, narrate
• कथयस्व: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथय् (धातु; णिच् causative of √कथ्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त

• प्रसादेन: by (your) grace/favor
• प्रसादेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental of manner)

• द्विज-उत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (best among twice-born)

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vasiṣṭha (addressed as द्विजोत्तम)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (or noble seeker) with folded hands questions a radiant sage seated in an āśrama; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fire, and a calm forest backdrop signal a dharma-kathā beginning.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (best of twice-born—addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It affirms continuity of karma across lives and encourages seeking dharmic understanding from realized teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is an appeal for explanation within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests a detailed account of prior-life merit.