Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । पूजाविधिं तु कृष्णस्य श्रोतुकामाः समासतः । कथयाऽचरणोपेतं यथावद्दैत्यसत्तम

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | pūjāvidhiṃ tu kṛṣṇasya śrotukāmāḥ samāsataḥ | kathayā'caraṇopetaṃ yathāvaddaityasattama

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „Wir möchten in Kürze die Verehrungsordnung für Kṛṣṇa hören. O Bester unter den Daityas, lege sie uns richtig dar, mitsamt den praktischen Schritten der Befolgung.“

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case/कर्ता), बहुवचनम्

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• पूजाविधिम्: the procedure of worship
• पूजाविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा + विधि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case/कर्म), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूजायाः विधिः)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/विशेषबोधक (but/indeed)

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (6th case/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• श्रोतुकामाः: desiring to hear
• श्रोतुकामाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रोतुम् (श्रु-धातोः तुमुन्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (श्रोतुम् कामाः)

• समासतः: briefly
• समासतः: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समासतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (briefly/in summary)

• कथय: tell
• कथय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; कथ् + णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्

• आचरणोपेतम्: accompanied by practice/observance
• आचरणोपेतम्: Karma (Qualifier of पूजाविधिम्/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचरण + उपेत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः ‘उपेत’ (उप+इ), विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (आचरणेन उपेतम्)

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (properly)

• दैत्यसत्तम: O best of the Daityas
• दैत्यसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (दैत्येषु सत्तमः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda (addressed as daitya-sattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages respectfully question a venerable Daitya devotee (Prahlāda) about Kṛṣṇa’s worship, with Dvārakā’s sea-breezed skyline implied in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Kṛṣṇa
• Prahlāda (implied addressee as daityasattama)
• Pūjā-vidhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True reverence seeks correct practice: the sages model humility by requesting a clear, actionable pūjā-vidhi rather than mere praise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the request arises within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting where pilgrimage is followed by Kṛṣṇa worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for a concise yet complete Kṛṣṇa pūjā-vidhi (method of worship) including the steps of observance (ācaraṇa).