Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

भवन्तमेव प्रथमं व्याजहार स्वयं प्रभुः । मुनीनां संहितां वक्तुं व्यासः पौराणिकीं कथाम्

Transliteration

bhavantameva prathamaṃ vyājahāra svayaṃ prabhuḥ | munīnāṃ saṃhitāṃ vaktuṃ vyāsaḥ paurāṇikīṃ kathām

Translation

പ്രഭുസ്വരൂപനായ മുനി വ്യാസൻ സ്വയം ആദ്യം നിന്നെയേ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്തു—മുനിമാർക്കായി സംഹിതയും പൗരാണിക പവിത്രകഥയും പ്രസംഗിക്കുവാൻ।

Word by Word

• भवन्तम्: you
• भवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/आदरार्थ-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (you, honorific)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative) 'first'

• व्याजहार: said
• व्याजहार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+√आहृ/√हृ (धातु; आहृ-प्रयोग 'to utter/say')
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Perfect, 3rd person singular (said/uttered)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'himself'

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (the Lord/master)

• मुनीनाम्: of the sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of sages)

• संहिताम्: the compendium
• संहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (the compendium)

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive); purpose 'to speak'

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

• पौराणिकीम्: purāṇic
• पौराणिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौराणिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कथाम्) विशेषणम्; Accusative singular (purāṇic)

• कथाम्: the discourse/story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (story/discourse)

Speaker

Naimiṣeya Maharṣis (the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa formally appoints Sūta to narrate the Purāṇic compendium to an assembly of sages; gesture of instruction, manuscript bundle offered or indicated.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)
• Munis (sages)
• Paurāṇikī kathā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores paramparā (lineage): sacred geography and dharma are to be heard from a validated chain of teachers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya by establishing the narrator’s authority rather than praising a site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the authorization to expound Purāṇic teaching.