Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यदा न शेकुस्ते सर्व आचख्युः कृष्णरामयोः । ददर्श तं तदा कृष्णो नृगं मत्वा हसन्निव

Transliteration

yadā na śekuste sarva ācakhyuḥ kṛṣṇarāmayoḥ | dadarśa taṃ tadā kṛṣṇo nṛgaṃ matvā hasanniva

Translation

Als sie ihn alle nicht bewegen konnten, berichteten sie es Kṛṣṇa und Rāma. Da schaute Kṛṣṇa ihn an und, ihn als Nṛga erkennend, schien er zu lächeln.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal conjunction/adverb)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation)

• शेकुः: were able
• शेकुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• आचख्युः: told/informed
• आचख्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्

• कृष्ण-रामयोः: to/of Kṛṣṇa and Rāma
• कृष्ण-रामयोः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), द्विवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• तम्: him/it
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• नृगम्: Nṛga (name)
• नृगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तम् (Gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having thought/considered)

• हसन्: smiling/laughing
• हसन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्तः शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम् (particle of comparison)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The princes, unable to move the heavy being, approach Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; Kṛṣṇa gazes toward the well and smiles knowingly, signaling recognition of Nṛga’s identity and fate.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Balarāma (Rāma)
• Nṛga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord knows the hidden history of beings; divine awareness precedes divine compassion and release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the māhātmya setting, emphasizing the Lord’s active presence and liberating power associated with the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts reporting to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and Kṛṣṇa’s recognition.