Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

विहस्य दक्षं कुपितो वचः प्राह महामुनिः । शृण्वतां सर्वदेवानां सर्वज्ञानमयः स्वयम्

Transliteration

vihasya dakṣaṃ kupito vacaḥ prāha mahāmuniḥ | śṛṇvatāṃ sarvadevānāṃ sarvajñānamayaḥ svayam

Translation

Nachdem der große Weise Dakṣa verlacht hatte, sprach er, erzürnt, diese Worte, während alle Götter zuhörten; denn er selbst war von vollkommenem Wissen erfüllt.

Word by Word

• विहस्य: having laughed
• विहस्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे), तुमुन्-समकक्षः; धातु: हस् (हसने) उपसर्ग: वि; अर्थे: 'हसित्वा' (having laughed)

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa
• दक्षम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कुपितः: angry
• कुपितः: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुपित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कुप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महामुनिः)

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राह: said, spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आह (धातु √अह्/√ब्रू; लिट्-रूप)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामुनिः: the great sage
• महामुनिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् मुनिः)

• शृण्वताम्: of (those) listening
• शृण्वताम्: Adhikaraṇa/Genitive absolute (Context: while they listen)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'शृण्वताम्' = 'of those who are listening'

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वे देवाः)

• सर्वज्ञानमयः: full of all knowledge
• सर्वज्ञानमयः: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञानमय (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + ज्ञान + मय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वज्ञानस्य मयः = filled with all knowledge); विशेषणम् (स्वयम्/महामुनिः)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Emphasis (Self/agent emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः-प्रयोगे (emphatic: 'himself')

Speaker

Mahāmuni (contextually Dadhīci continuing the exchange)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: All devas (as audience); Dakṣa as target

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dadhīci first laughs—brief, cutting—then his face hardens with controlled anger as he begins a forceful speech; the gods fall silent, listening to the omniscient sage.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Devas
• Mahāmuni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is challenged, wise seers speak publicly for the correction of error, with the devas as witnesses to truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa is the narrative frame, highlighting the place as a locus where divine order and proper worship are clarified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a corrective discourse on proper reverence.