Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । बकुलार्केति वै नाम कथं जातं रवेर्मुने । एतन्मे वदतां श्रेष्ठ तत्त्वमाख्यातुमर्हसि

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | bakulārketi vai nāma kathaṃ jātaṃ ravermune | etanme vadatāṃ śreṣṭha tattvamākhyātumarhasi

Translation

ಯುಧಿಷ್ಠಿರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ಮುನಿಯೇ, ಸೂರ್ಯನಿಗೆ ‘ಬಕುಲಾರ್ಕ’ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರು ಹೇಗೆ ಉಂಟಾಯಿತು? ಹೇ ವಕ್ತೃಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಇದರ ತತ್ತ್ವವನ್ನು ನನಗೆ ವಿವರಿಸು.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• बकुलार्क: Bakulārka
• बकुलार्क: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); नामपदम् (as a name-stem)

• इति: thus / called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Pratijna/Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); here as predicate ‘name’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Question/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• जातम्: arose / came to be
• जातम्: Kriya (State/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arisen/formed’

• रवेः: of the Sun
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Gen./Dat.), एकवचन; here दत्त-सम्बन्ध (to me/for me)

• वदताम्: of those who speak
• वदताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वद् (धातु) → वदत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘of speakers’

• श्रेष्ठ: O best (one)
• श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्त्वम्: the truth
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आख्यातुम्: to explain
• आख्यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), ‘to narrate/tell’

• अर्हसि: you are able/ought
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bakulārka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully before Vyāsa in a forest hermitage; behind them a bakula tree and a distant Surya glow hint at the forthcoming legend.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bakulārka
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Muni (Vyāsa; addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred names carry tīrtha-māhātmya and theological memory; inquiry into them is itself a dharmic pursuit of truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question concerns Bakulārka, a sanctified Sun-associated manifestation/site within the Dharmāraṇya account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual here; it introduces the explanatory narrative behind the sacred name Bakulārka.