Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कथितो भवता सर्गः प्रतिसर्गस्तथैव च । वंशानुवंशचरितं पुराणानामनुक्रमः

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathito bhavatā sargaḥ pratisargastathaiva ca | vaṃśānuvaṃśacaritaṃ purāṇānāmanukramaḥ

Translation

Les sages dirent : Tu as exposé la création et la recréation, ainsi que les récits des dynasties et des sous-dynasties, et l’ordonnancement des Purāṇa.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Perfect, 3rd person plural, परस्मैपद

• कथितः: has been told/described
• कथितः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate participle/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with सर्गः

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular ‘by you (sir)’

• सर्गः: creation
• सर्गः: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/object of narration/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• प्रतिसर्गः: re-creation
• प्रतिसर्गः: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (coordinated)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/समुच्चयार्थ ‘so/likewise’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वंशानुवंशचरितम्: genealogies and subsidiary genealogies (accounts)
• वंशानुवंशचरितम्: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश-अनुवंश-चरित (प्रातिपदिक; वंश + अनुवंश + चरित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘accounts of lineages and sub-lineages’

• पुराणानाम्: of the Purāṇas
• पुराणानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural ‘of the Purāṇas’

• अनुक्रमः: the sequence/listing
• अनुक्रमः: Karman/Viṣaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

Speaker

The sages (Śaunaka and others)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual) / Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of venerable ṛṣis seated in a forest-āśrama, addressing the Sūta with palms joined, acknowledging the orderly exposition of creation and dynasties; manuscripts and yajña implements nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Purāṇas
• Sarga
• Pratisarga
• Vaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma includes remembering cosmic origins and sacred lineages, anchoring devotion in a grand sacred history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse is a doctrinal recap within the Dvārakā Māhātmya chapter conclusion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it summarizes doctrinal topics already taught.