Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अहो हे गौतमाचार्य्य ऋषयो नारदादयः । शृण्वंतु तीर्थक्षेत्राणि कृपया संवदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

aho he gautamācāryya ṛṣayo nāradādayaḥ | śṛṇvaṃtu tīrthakṣetrāṇi kṛpayā saṃvadāmyaham

Translation

„O ehrwürdiger Lehrer Gautama, und ihr Rishis, beginnend mit Nārada, hört zu. Aus Mitgefühl will ich von den heiligen Tīrthas und den geweihten Regionen sprechen.“

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादि-बोधक-अव्यय (exclamation)

• हे: O
• हे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• गौतम-आचार्य: O teacher Gautama
• गौतम-आचार्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गौतमः आचार्यः)

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नारद-आदयः: beginning with Nārada
• नारद-आदयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नारदः आदिः येषाम्)

• शृण्वन्तु: let (them) hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थ-क्षेत्राणि: the sacred fords and holy places
• तीर्थ-क्षेत्राणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (तीर्थाणि च क्षेत्राणि च)

• कृपया: out of compassion
• कृपया: Hetu/Instrument (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संवदामि: I speak / I will tell
• संवदामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Divyavāṇī (Divine Voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-kṣetra-saṅgraha (forthcoming list; introduction)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gautama (addressed as ācārya), Nārada, and other sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages—Gautama prominent, Nārada with vīṇā—sit attentive as a radiant, bodiless voice descends like light; the atmosphere is compassionate and instructive, with manuscripts and water-pots nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Nārada
• Rishis
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate revelation of tīrthas is framed as a remedy for confusion and sorrow, guiding seekers toward merit and clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the forthcoming glorification; Dvārakā and related coastal sacred sites are described next.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is śravaṇa (devout listening) to tīrtha-māhātmya, a traditional means of accruing merit and insight.