Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अथापरं विभो धर्ममल्पायासं महाफलम् । ब्रूहि कारुण्यतो मह्यं सद्यो मुक्तिप्रदं नृणाम्

Transliteration

athāparaṃ vibho dharmamalpāyāsaṃ mahāphalam | brūhi kāruṇyato mahyaṃ sadyo muktipradaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

अब, हे विभो! करुणा करके मुझे ऐसा दूसरा धर्म बताइए जो अल्प प्रयास से महाफल दे और मनुष्यों को तत्काल मुक्ति प्रदान करे।

Word by Word

• atha: now/then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle): अनुक्रम/आरम्भ-वाचकः

• aparam: another, further
• aparam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (अपर) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘dharmam’ इति विशेषणम्

• vibho: O mighty one
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (विभु) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• dharmam: a dharma/practice
• dharmam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (धर्म) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• alpa-āyāsam: requiring little effort
• alpa-āyāsam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa (प्रातिपदिक) + āyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘dharmam’ इति विशेषणम्

• mahā-phalam: having great fruit
• mahā-phalam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘dharmam’ इति विशेषणम्

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• kāruṇyataḥ: out of compassion
• kāruṇyataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāruṇya (कारुण्य) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Ablatival adverb): हेतौ ‘out of compassion’

• mahyam: to me
• mahyam: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), एकवचनम्

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (सद्यः)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb): काल-वाचकः

• mukti-pradam: granting liberation
• mukti-pradam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक; √dā/दा + pra-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘dharmam’ इति विशेषणम्

• nṛṇām: of men
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (नृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sanatkumāra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhagavān Rudra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sanatkumāra, moved by compassion for humanity, implores Rudra for a simple, high-fruit dharma granting immediate liberation; Rudra’s gaze is tender, suggesting forthcoming grace-filled instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumāra
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seek the essence of dharma—simple yet powerful practices—through compassionate divine guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None mentioned; the verse is a request for an accessible liberating practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for a low-effort, high-fruit dharma that gives swift mokṣa; the specific rite is given in subsequent verses.