Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीप्रह्लाद उवाच । श्रूयतां पूजनं विप्राः श्रुतपूर्वं विधानतः । कलौ कृष्णस्य विप्रेन्द्रा यथावदनुपूर्वशः

Transliteration

śrīprahlāda uvāca | śrūyatāṃ pūjanaṃ viprāḥ śrutapūrvaṃ vidhānataḥ | kalau kṛṣṇasya viprendrā yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

Śrī Prahlāda said: “Listen, O brāhmaṇas—(I shall describe) the worship, as heard from tradition and according to ordinance: in the Kali age, O best of brāhmaṇas, the proper worship of Kṛṣṇa, step by step.”

Word by Word

• śrīprahlādaḥ: Śrī Prahlāda
• śrīprahlādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + प्रह्लाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śrūyatām: let (it) be heard
• śrūyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘let it be heard’

• pūjanam: worship; act of worship
• pūjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

• śrutapūrvam: heard before; previously known
• śrutapūrvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta-pūrva (प्रातिपदिक; श्रुत + पूर्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• vidhānataḥ: according to the prescribed procedure
• vidhānataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): ‘according to rule/prescription’

• kalau: in the Kali age
• kalau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṛṣṇasya: of Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprendrāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• viprendrāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

• yathāvat: properly; duly
• yathāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anupūrvaśaḥ: in proper sequence
• anupūrvaśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anupūrvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘-शस्’ (distributive/adverbial) प्रत्ययान्त: ‘in due order, sequentially’

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / viprendra-s (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda begins formal instruction: he asks the brāhmaṇas to listen as he narrates the traditional, ordinance-based worship of Kṛṣṇa for Kali-yuga, in proper sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, dharma is preserved through accessible, properly performed devotion to Kṛṣṇa guided by received tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Dvārakā Māhātmya; the worship instructions relate to approaching Dvārakā and its divine order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prahlāda announces a ‘proper, sequential’ (yathāvat, anupūrvaśaḥ) method of Kṛṣṇa worship suited to Kali-yuga.