Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । पुराणसंख्यामाचक्ष्व सूत विस्तरशः क्रमात् । दानधर्ममशेषज्ञ यथावदनुपूर्वशः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | purāṇasaṃkhyāmācakṣva sūta vistaraśaḥ kramāt | dānadharmamaśeṣajña yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „O Sūta, erläutere der Reihe nach und ausführlich die Zahl der Purāṇas—Schritt für Schritt, der Wahrheit gemäß—o du, der du die gesamte Dharma des dāna (heiligen Gebens) kennst.“

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुराणसंख्याम्: the number of Purāṇas
• पुराणसंख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुराणानां संख्या)

• आचक्ष्व: tell/declare
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• विस्तरशः: in detail
• विस्तरशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तरशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in detail)

• क्रमात्: in sequence/step by step
• क्रमात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablative used adverbially: in order/stepwise)

• दानधर्मम्: O (knower of) charity and dharma
• दानधर्मम्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (दानश्च धर्मश्च)

• अशेषज्ञ: O knower of everything
• अशेषज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अशेषं जानाति इति)

• यथावत्: properly
• यथावत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: properly/accurately)

• अनुपूर्वशः: in proper order
• अनुपूर्वशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्वशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in due order, successively)

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of sages, hands folded, formally questioning Sūta; the emphasis is on orderly pedagogy—scrolls, counting gestures, and attentive faces.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛṣis
• Purāṇas
• Dāna-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authentic dharma begins with humble inquiry and orderly learning from a qualified teacher, especially regarding charity and sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue occurs within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya framework, but this verse is a question about Purāṇic classification rather than a site-specific praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; dāna-dharma is referenced as a domain of expertise.