Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

लक्षेणैकेन तत्प्रोक्तं द्वापरान्ते महात्मना । वाल्मीकिना च यत्प्रोक्तं रामोपाख्यानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

lakṣeṇaikena tatproktaṃ dvāparānte mahātmanā | vālmīkinā ca yatproktaṃ rāmopākhyānamuttamam

Translation

Ce grand récit fut proclamé par le noble au terme de l’âge Dvāpara, dans la mesure d’un lakh (cent mille) vers ; et l’histoire suprême de Rāma fut aussi énoncée par Vālmīki.

Word by Word

• लक्षेण: by a lakh (measure)
• लक्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by/with a lakh)

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by one)

• तत्: that (work/statement)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun, nominative singular (that)

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle (spoken/declared)

• द्वापरान्ते: at the end of the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (at the end of Dvāpara)

• महात्मना: by the great sage
• महात्मना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by the great-souled one)

• वाल्मीकिना: by Vālmīki
• वाल्मीकिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाल्मीकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by Vālmīki)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; Conjunction (and)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Relative pronoun (which/that)

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle (spoken)

• रामोपाख्यानम्: the excellent narrative of Rāma
• रामोपाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-उपाख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative/accusative singular (Rāma-episode/narrative)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Adjective agreeing with रामोपाख्यानम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the Mahābhārata as a vast manuscript (one lakh verses) and Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa as a luminous scroll; yuga-cycle imagery (Dvāpara ending) frames the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vālmīki
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The great epics are upheld as authoritative dharma-guides transmitted through exalted sages across yuga transitions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Prabhāsa māhātmya by grounding the discourse in recognized scriptural tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement about sacred literature and its transmission.