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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

चक्रुः कथाः सुविचित्रा इतिहासानि भूरिशः । कीर्त्तयंतः स्थितास्तत्र पप्रच्छू राजसत्तमम्

cakruḥ kathāḥ suvicitrā itihāsāni bhūriśaḥ | kīrttayaṃtaḥ sthitāstatra papracchū rājasattamam

Ils racontèrent maintes histoires merveilleuses et d’innombrables récits anciens; et, demeurant là tout en les célébrant et les récitant, ils interrogèrent ce roi, le meilleur des souverains.

चक्रुःthey made, they held
चक्रुः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (धातु)
Formलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — 'they did/made'
कथाःstories, talks
कथाः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकथा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन
सुविचित्राःvery wonderful
सुविचित्राः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootसु + विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कथाः) — 'very wonderful/variegated'
इतिहासानिhistories, legends
इतिहासानि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootइतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन
भूरिशःabundantly, many times
भूरिशः:
Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभूरिशस् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (परिमाणवाचक/प्रचुरार्थक) — 'abundantly, repeatedly'
कीर्तयन्तःpraising, recounting
कीर्तयन्तः:
Karta (Participial/कर्तृ)
TypeVerb
Root√कीर्त्/कीर्तय् (धातु; णिच्)
Formशतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — 'while praising/reciting'
स्थिताःstaying, being present
स्थिताः:
Karta (Participial/कर्तृ)
TypeVerb
Root√स्था (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — 'having stayed/being present'
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana (Locative/देशाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (देशवाचक) — 'there'
पप्रच्छुःthey asked
पप्रच्छुः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-√पृच्छ् (धातु)
Formलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — 'they asked'
राजसत्तमम्the best of kings
राजसत्तमम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — 'राज्ञां सत्तमः' (best among kings)

Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa (narrator, contextually in Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Scene: Sages seated in a semicircle, animatedly recounting wondrous ancient stories; the king listens, then is questioned in a formal, respectful tone.

S
Sages
K
King (unnamed in this verse)

FAQs

Dharma is clarified through inquiry—questioning and listening to sacred history preserves spiritual insight.

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, framing the holiness of Prabhāsa through dialogue.

None explicitly; the verse introduces the didactic Q&A that will lead to tīrtha-related teachings.