Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

गज उवाच । भद्रं हि भाषितं भद्र आख्यानममृतोपमम् । पृच्छामि सर्वधर्मज्ञ त्वामहं किंचिदेव हि

Transliteration

gaja uvāca | bhadraṃ hi bhāṣitaṃ bhadra ākhyānamamṛtopamam | pṛcchāmi sarvadharmajña tvāmahaṃ kiṃcideva hi

Translation

Gaja sprach: „O Bhadra, glückverheißend ist, was du gesagt hast; diese Erzählung ist wie Nektar. O Kenner aller Dharma, ich möchte dich noch um etwas fragen.“

Word by Word

• गजः: Gaja (the elephant)
• गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भद्रम्: good/auspicious (thing)
• भद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मवत्/वाक्य-विशेषणरूपेण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed)

• भाषितम्: spoken
• भाषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भाष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भद्रम्’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• भद्र: O good one
• भद्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• आख्यानम्: narrative/account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमृतोपमम्: nectar-like
• अमृतोपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—अमृतस्य उपमम् (like nectar)

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वधर्मज्ञ: O knower of all dharmas
• सर्वधर्मज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + धर्म + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषां धर्माणां ज्ञः (knower of all dharmas)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• किंचित्: something/a little
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (something)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (just/only)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

Gaja

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhadra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two figures seated in a grove near a sacred precinct: Gaja, attentive and humble, addresses Bhadra, who sits composed like a teacher. Palm-leaf manuscripts and a water-pot indicate pilgrimage learning; the atmosphere is calm and reverent.

Characters & Entities

• Gaja
• Bhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverent listening and sincere questioning are upheld as the proper way to receive dharmic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting is the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is introductory dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it establishes the framework of inquiry into dharma and merit.