Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 196

Devanagari script

ततः श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तस्य राज्ञो दयावहम् । प्रापुस्तीर्थान्यनेकानि केदारादीनि कोटिशः

Transliteration

tataḥ śrutvā tu vacanaṃ tasya rājño dayāvaham | prāpustīrthānyanekāni kedārādīni koṭiśaḥ

Translation

Alors, ayant entendu les paroles du roi, porteuses de compassion, d’innombrables tīrthas—à commencer par Kedāra—s’y rassemblèrent en foule.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having heard’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दया-वहम्: bringing compassion
• दया-वहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of वचनम्)

• प्रापुः: they attained / reached
• प्रापुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थानि)

• केदार-आदीनि: Kedāra etc.
• केदार-आदीनि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; ‘Kedāra and others’

• कोटिशः: in crores; countlessly
• कोटिशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: in crores, countlessly)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narrative style within Māhātmya sections)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra and innumerable tīrthas (tīrtha-samāgama at Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On hearing the king’s compassionate words, innumerable tīrthas—beginning with Kedāra—arrive as radiant personified beings or as streams of light converging upon Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Vainya (the king, implied)
• Kedāra
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A righteous, compassion-filled intention can draw sacred merit and divine support; tīrthas respond to dharmic resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is named as foremost among many tīrthas that appear, within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse sets the scene for tīrtha-yātrā and the gathering of holy places.