Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

इदं लोकहितार्थाय संक्षिप्तं द्वापरे द्विजाः

Transliteration

idaṃ lokahitārthāya saṃkṣiptaṃ dvāpare dvijāḥ

Translation

ឱ ព្រះទ្វិជៈ (អ្នកកើតពីរដង) ទាំងឡាយ សេចក្តីនេះត្រូវបានសង្ខេបនៅសម័យទ្វាបរ ដើម្បីប្រយោជន៍សុខសាន្តរបស់លោក។

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (account/text)
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• लोक-हित-अर्थाय: for the purpose of the welfare of the world
• लोक-हित-अर्थाय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• संक्षिप्तम्: abridged/condensed
• संक्षिप्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) ‘इदम्’

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned narrator addresses a seated group of brāhmaṇas, emphasizing that the teaching was condensed in Dvāpara for the world’s welfare; manuscripts and a calm teaching hall evoke transmission across ages.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāpara-yuga
• dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture adapts its presentation for accessibility; condensation serves compassion and public welfare (lokahita).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in the verse; it functions as a framing statement within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it explains the purpose and time-context of an abridged transmission.