Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

इतिहासेन पूर्वोक्तं श्रूयतां मुनिपुङ्गवाः । दिलीपवसिष्ठ संवादे परमाश्चर्य्यवर्द्धनम्

Transliteration

itihāsena pūrvoktaṃ śrūyatāṃ munipuṅgavāḥ | dilīpavasiṣṭha saṃvāde paramāścaryyavarddhanam

Translation

ഹേ മുനിപുംഗവന്മാരേ! മുമ്പ് പറഞ്ഞ പുരാതന ഇതിഹാസം ശ്രവിക്കുവിൻ—ദിലീപനും വസിഷ്ഠനും തമ്മിലുള്ള സംവാദത്തിലെ, പരമാശ്ചര്യം വർദ്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന പ്രസംഗം.

Word by Word

• इतिहासेन: by (means of) the narrative/history
• इतिहासेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पूर्वोक्तम्: previously said
• पूर्वोक्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मुनिपुङ्गवाः: O best of sages
• मुनिपुङ्गवाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (vocative-sense)

• दिलीपवसिष्ठ: (of) Dilīpa and Vasiṣṭha
• दिलीपवसिष्ठ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप-वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपदसमाहार; समासपूर्वपद (द्वन्द्व) — ‘दिलीपस्य वसिष्ठस्य च’ इत्यर्थे

• संवादे: in the dialogue
• संवादे: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• परम: supreme, very great
• परम: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आश्चर्यवर्द्धनम्: wonder-increasing (account)
• आश्चर्यवर्द्धनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य-वर्द्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Dvārakā Māhātmya; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni-puṅgava (addressed sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest āśrama setting: Vasiṣṭha seated on kuśa grass with a calm aura; King Dilīpa sits respectfully with folded hands; surrounding sages lean in as the ‘wondrous account’ is about to be narrated.

Characters & Entities

• Dilīpa
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach dharma through revered dialogues and illustrative legends, preparing the listener for a transformative moral lesson.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context remains Dvārakā Māhātmya, though this verse introduces an illustrative story via Dilīpa–Vasiṣṭha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly—this verse functions as a narrative preface inviting attentive listening (śravaṇa).