Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

कथिते चैव वृत्तांते पुनः पप्रच्छ कारणम् । पृष्टे तु कारणे तत्र गंधर्वः प्रोक्तवांस्तदा

Transliteration

kathite caiva vṛttāṃte punaḥ papraccha kāraṇam | pṛṣṭe tu kāraṇe tatra gaṃdharvaḥ proktavāṃstadā

Translation

When the account had been narrated, he again inquired about the cause. And when the cause was asked there, the Gandharva then spoke.

Word by Word

• कथिते: when (it) was narrated
• कथिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘कथित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; (सप्तमी-absolute: ‘when it was told’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• वृत्तान्ते: in the account/incident
• वृत्तान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कारणम्: the cause, reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पृष्टे: when (it) was asked
• पृष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘पृष्ट’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सप्तमी-absolute: ‘when (it) was asked’)

• तु: then, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक (particle: ‘but/then’)

• कारणे: about the cause
• कारणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• गन्धर्वः: the Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तवान्: spoke, having said
• प्रोक्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्तवतु (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Perfect participle/agentive past) ‘प्रोक्तवत्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (आख्यातार्थे) ‘having spoken’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (Īśvara/Śiva as the frame-narrator in this section)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛs (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the story is told, the questioner leans forward with earnest curiosity; a celestial Gandharva prepares to speak, suggesting a shift from human to divine testimony.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives in the Purāṇas lead naturally to inquiry into causes (kāraṇa), pointing to karma and remedial dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, oriented toward Someshvara at Prabhāsa near the sea.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the Gandharva’s explanation that leads to a vow-based remedy.