Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

उद्देशतो मया विप्राः कीर्त्यमाना निबोधत । संक्षेपतो विप्रवरा यथा तेषां च याः क्रियाः

Transliteration

uddeśato mayā viprāḥ kīrtyamānā nibodhata | saṃkṣepato vipravarā yathā teṣāṃ ca yāḥ kriyāḥ

Translation

O Brāhmaṇas, versteht, während ich sie nur andeutungsweise erwähne. O ihr besten Brāhmaṇas, ich werde kurz darlegen, wie sie beschaffen sind und welche Riten für sie vollzogen werden.

Word by Word

• उद्देशतः: by indication, in outline
• उद्देशतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), अर्थे: ‘उद्देशेन/उद्देशतः’ (by way of indication)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, तृतीया (करण)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana/Addressed (सम्बोधनार्थ-प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा

• कीर्त्यमानाः: being praised/being mentioned
• कीर्त्यमानाः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; विशेषणम् (विप्राः)

• निबोधत: understand, take note
• निबोधत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: नि-

• संक्षेपतः: briefly
• संक्षेपतः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), अर्थे: ‘संक्षेपेण’ (briefly)

• विप्रवराः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रवराः: Sambodhana/Addressed (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विप्राः एव वराः), पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; सम्बोधनार्थे

• यथा: as, how
• यथा: Adverbial (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/how)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• याः: which (those)
• याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा; सम्बन्धक-प्रश्न/यत्-सम्बन्ध

• क्रियाः: deeds, rites, actions
• क्रियाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Catalog of Prabhāsa–Dvārakā tīrthas (to be detailed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ / vipravarāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda seated among attentive brāhmaṇas, gesturing as if enumerating a list; palm-leaf manuscript and water-pot nearby; behind them a stylized map-like coastline with marked tīrthas.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-mahātmya is not only praise but also practical instruction—knowing the proper kriyā aligns pilgrimage with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named yet; this verse introduces a forthcoming list and their associated practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It announces that the kriyās (ritual practices) for the tīrthas will be described briefly, but does not detail them in this verse.