Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

भवन्तमेव प्रथमं व्याजहार स्वयं प्रभुः । मुनीनां संहितां वक्तुं व्यासः पौराणिकीं कथाम्

Transliteration

bhavantameva prathamaṃ vyājahāra svayaṃ prabhuḥ | munīnāṃ saṃhitāṃ vaktuṃ vyāsaḥ paurāṇikīṃ kathām

Translation

Vyāsa selbst, der herrliche Weise, wandte sich zuerst allein an dich, damit du den Munis das Kompendium und die heilige purāṇische Erzählung verkündest.

Word by Word

• भवन्तम्: you
• भवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/आदरार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (you, honorific)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative) 'first'

• व्याजहार: said
• व्याजहार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+√आहृ/√हृ (धातु; आहृ-प्रयोग 'to utter/say')
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Perfect, 3rd person singular (said/uttered)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'himself'

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (the Lord/master)

• मुनीनाम्: of the sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of sages)

• संहिताम्: the compendium
• संहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (the compendium)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); purpose 'to speak'

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक; व्यक्तिनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Vyāsa)

• पौराणिकीम्: purāṇic
• पौराणिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौराणिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कथाम्) विशेषणम्; Accusative singular (purāṇic)

• कथाम्: the discourse/story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (story/discourse)

Speaker

Naimiṣeya Maharṣis (the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa formally appoints Sūta to narrate the Purāṇic compendium to an assembly of sages; gesture of instruction, manuscript bundle offered or indicated.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)
• Munis (sages)
• Paurāṇikī kathā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores paramparā (lineage): sacred geography and dharma are to be heard from a validated chain of teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya by establishing the narrator’s authority rather than praising a site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the authorization to expound Purāṇic teaching.