Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथाया लक्षणं ब्रूहि गुणदोषान्सविस्तरान् । आर्षेयपौरुषेयाणां काव्यचिह्नपरीक्षणम् । कथं ज्ञेयं महाबुद्धे श्रोतुमिच्छामहे वयम्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathāyā lakṣaṇaṃ brūhi guṇadoṣānsavistarān | ārṣeyapauruṣeyāṇāṃ kāvyacihnaparīkṣaṇam | kathaṃ jñeyaṃ mahābuddhe śrotumicchāmahe vayam

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „Lehre uns die Kennzeichen einer heiligen Erzählung — ihre Vorzüge und ihre Mängel im Einzelnen — und das Maß, nach dem Dichtwerke seherischen Ursprungs (ārṣeya) und menschlichen Ursprungs (pauruṣeya) zu prüfen sind. O du von großer Einsicht, wie ist dies wahrhaft zu erkennen? Wir wünschen zu hören.“

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect 3rd pl

• कथायाः: of a story/discourse
• कथायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• लक्षणम्: characteristic/definition
• लक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• ब्रूहि: tell (us)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative 2nd sg

• गुणदोषान्: merits and faults
• गुणदोषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुणदोष (प्रातिपदिक; गुण + दोष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• सविस्तरान्: in detail
• सविस्तरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सविस्तर (प्रातिपदिक; स + विस्तर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Accusative plural; विशेषण (गुणदोषान्)

• आर्षेयपौरुषेयाणाम्: of (texts) that are seer-authored and human-authored
• आर्षेयपौरुषेयाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्षेयपौरुषेय (प्रातिपदिक; आर्षेय + पौरुषेय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समूह/वर्ग), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural; विशेषण (परीक्षणम्)

• काव्यचिह्नपरीक्षणम्: examination of poetic marks/features
• काव्यचिह्नपरीक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काव्यचिह्नपरीक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; काव्य + चिह्न + परीक्षण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (here as object/apposition)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• ज्ञेयम्: is to be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त; भाव्य/कर्तव्य)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known/should be known’

• महाबुद्धे: O great-minded one
• महाबुद्धे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + बुद्धि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive)

• इच्छामहे: we desire
• इच्छामहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु; इच्छति)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Present indicative 1st pl (आत्मनेपद)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A semicircle of sages respectfully interrogates Sūta, palms joined, requesting a systematic method to evaluate sacred narratives and distinguish seer-origin from human composition.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seek discernment (viveka) in sacred listening—knowing the marks of authentic, dharma-aligned narration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse frames a teaching within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya setting, but does not yet praise a specific sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse requests doctrinal criteria for evaluating sacred narratives.