Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततः कथाप्रसंगेन इन्द्रः प्राह चतुर्मुखम् । कौतुकेन समायुक्तः पप्रच्छ नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tataḥ kathāprasaṃgena indraḥ prāha caturmukham | kautukena samāyuktaḥ papraccha nṛpasattama

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം സംഭാഷണപ്രസംഗത്തിൽ ഇന്ദ്രൻ ചതുര്മുഖനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവിനോട് സംസാരിച്ചു. കൗതുകം നിറഞ്ഞവനായി, ഹേ നൃപസത്തമാ, അവൻ ചോദ്യം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kala/Anantara (Subsequent time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-आर्थक (thereupon/then)

• कथाप्रसङ्गेन: by/through the course of the discussion
• कथाप्रसङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा + प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘कथायाः प्रसङ्गः’

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; आह-रूप)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चतुर्मुखम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य’ इति (ब्रह्मा)

• कौतुकेन: with curiosity
• कौतुकेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• समायुक्तः: endowed/filled (with)
• समायुक्तः: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + युज् (धातु) → समायुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; इन्द्रः इति विशेष्य

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (addressing the king; reporting Indra’s action)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpasattama (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, crowned and radiant, leans forward with respectful curiosity, addressing Brahmā; Brahmā turns slightly, attentive; surrounding devas and ṛṣis pause, listening.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā (Caturmukha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is approached through humble inquiry; even Indra seeks clarification from Brahmā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative bridge within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a question-answer sequence.