Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कथयन्तः कथां विष्णोः स्वरूपमनुवर्णनम् । तापसाः प्रययुः सर्वे संहृष्टा ब्रह्मणोंऽतिकम्

Transliteration

kathayantaḥ kathāṃ viṣṇoḥ svarūpamanuvarṇanam | tāpasāḥ prayayuḥ sarve saṃhṛṣṭā brahmaṇoṃ'tikam

Translation

Chemin faisant, tous les ascètes, dans la joie, évoquaient les récits de Viṣṇu, décrivant et célébrant sa véritable nature, et s’avancèrent vers la présence de Brahmā.

Word by Word

• कथयन्तः: telling / narrating
• कथयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्वरूपम्: true form / nature
• स्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (स्वं रूपम्)

• अनुवर्णनम्: description
• अनुवर्णनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तापसाः: ascetics
• तापसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रययुः: went forth
• प्रययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तापसाः)

• संहृष्टाः: delighted
• संहृष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-हृष् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तापसाः)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अन्तिकम्: near (to the presence)
• अन्तिकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे (to the vicinity)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Dvārakā Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā/Prabhāsa narrative corridor (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moving caravan of ascetics, smiling and animated, gesturing as they narrate Viṣṇu’s forms; the road itself glows subtly as if sanctified by their kīrtana.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Tāpasāḥ (ascetics)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance and narration of the Lord’s nature (kathā) sanctifies the journey and uplifts the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the māhātmya setting, though the verse foregrounds devotion to Viṣṇu while approaching Brahmā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the devotional act is śravaṇa-kīrtana (hearing/reciting sacred narrative).