Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अधुना वैष्णवीं रौद्रीं यात्रां सर्वार्थसंयुताम् । वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं पुराणार्थविशारद

Transliteration

adhunā vaiṣṇavīṃ raudrīṃ yātrāṃ sarvārthasaṃyutām | vaktumarhasi cāsmākaṃ purāṇārthaviśārada

Translation

Nun, o Kenner des Sinnes der Purāṇas, sollst du uns auch von den Vaiṣṇavī- und den Raudrī-Pilgerfahrten berichten, die in jedem heiligen Zweck vollkommen sind.

Word by Word

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वैष्णवीम्: Vaiṣṇavī (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; यात्रा इति विशेषणम्

• रौद्रीम्: Raudrī (of Rudra)
• रौद्रीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; यात्रा इति विशेषणम्

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage
• यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• सर्वार्थसंयुताम्: endowed with all benefits
• सर्वार्थसंयुताम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अर्थ + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + युज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सर्वैः अर्थैः संयुता’ (endowed with all aims/benefits)

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → वक्तुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्तम् (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थकः

• अर्हसि: you are fit/you should
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्माकम्: for us / of us
• अस्माकम्: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• पुराणार्थविशारद: O expert in the meaning of the Purāṇas
• पुराणार्थविशारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + अर्थ + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form used as address), एकवचनम्; ‘पुराणार्थे विशारदः’ (expert in Purāṇa-meanings)

Speaker

Naimiṣeya Maharṣis (the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (sages) addressing the purāṇa-expert narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest-āśrama assembly of sages requesting the narrator to expound two pilgrimage circuits—Vaiṣṇavī and Raudrī—set against the imagined sacred landscape of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiṣṇavī Yātrā
• Raudrī Yātrā
• Viṣṇu (implied)
• Rudra/Śiva (implied)
• Sūta (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Māhātmya frames pilgrimage as a complete dharmic path, integrating Vaiṣṇava and Raudra (Śaiva) modes of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the overarching sacred landscape in which these yātrās (pilgrimage circuits/observances) are to be explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests instruction on two named pilgrimages—Vaiṣṇavī and Raudrī—implying structured observances, though details follow later.