Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पुरा बभूव राजर्षिर्दिलीप इति विश्रुतः । दीर्घो नाम सुतस्तस्य रघुस्तस्मादजायत

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | purā babhūva rājarṣirdilīpa iti viśrutaḥ | dīrgho nāma sutastasya raghustasmādajāyata

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Einst gab es einen königlichen Weisen, berühmt unter dem Namen Dilīpa. Sein Sohn hieß Dīrgha, und aus ihm wurde Raghu geboren.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) temporal adverb

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजर्षिः: royal sage
• राजर्षिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज-ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक; राजन् + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दिलीपः: Dilīpa
• दिलीपः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus, named
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक) quotative particle

• विश्रुतः: renowned
• विश्रुतः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) + विश्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिलीपः)

• दीर्घः: Dīrgha (name)
• दीर्घः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (व्यक्तिनाम)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशार्थक) indeclinable used to indicate a name

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him (of Dilīpa)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रघुः: Raghu
• रघुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (व्यक्तिनाम)

• तस्मात्: from him (from Dīrgha)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अजायत: was born
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins a lineage narration: a scroll-like visualization of Dilīpa, his son Dīrgha, and Raghu, shown as three royal figures in sequence, with subtle solar motifs and a calm teaching setting.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Dilīpa
• Dīrgha
• Raghu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas anchor tīrtha-māhātmya in lineage and history, showing dharma transmitted through righteous dynasties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra remains the narrative frame, though this verse introduces dynastic background.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides genealogical context for the upcoming explanation.