Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

त्वया सूत महा बुद्धे भगवान्ब्रह्मवित्तमः । इतिहासपुराणार्थे व्यासः सम्यगुपासितः

Transliteration

tvayā sūta mahā buddhe bhagavānbrahmavittamaḥ | itihāsapurāṇārthe vyāsaḥ samyagupāsitaḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹാബുദ്ധിമാൻ സൂതാ! ഇതിഹാസ–പുരാണങ്ങളുടെ അർത്ഥതാത്പര്യത്തിൽ ബ്രഹ്മവിത്തമനായ ഭഗവാൻ വ്യാസനെ നീ സമ്യകായി സേവിച്ച് ഉപാസിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by you)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (O Sūta)

• महा: great
• महा: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (बुद्धे) विशेषणम्; Vocative singular (great)

• बुद्धे: O wise one
• बुद्धे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (O intelligent one)

• भगवान्: the venerable one
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (the Blessed Lord / venerable one)

• ब्रह्मवित्तमः: the foremost knower of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवित्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-वित्-तम (प्रातिपदिक; वित् = √विद् (धातु) क्तिन्/क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त 'knower')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (भगवान्) विशेषणम्; superlative (तम) — Nominative singular (best knower of Brahman)

• इतिहासपुराणार्थे: in the matter of Itihāsa and Purāṇa meanings
• इतिहासपुराणार्थे: Vishaya/Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास-पुराण-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in/with regard to the meaning of Itihāsa and Purāṇa)

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक; व्यक्तिनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Vyāsa)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'properly/fully'

• उपासितः: has been duly attended/served
• उपासितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√आस् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past passive participle (has been served/attended)

Speaker

Naimiṣeya Maharṣis (the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Romaharṣaṇa/Ugraśravas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage assembly: sages honor Sūta, recalling his service to Vyāsa; palm-leaf manuscripts, kuśa grass seats, sacrificial implements in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)
• Vyāsa
• Itihāsa
• Purāṇa
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authentic dharma teaching depends on proper discipleship—learning through service and correct understanding of scripture.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate setting remains Naimiṣāraṇya; the verse establishes the authority of the speaker for the coming Prabhāsa Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it emphasizes upāsanā/upāsita (reverent attendance and study) as the discipline behind trustworthy narration.