Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

चरितैरञ्चितं विष्णोस्तल्लोके वैष्णवं विदुः । त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रं पुराणं तत्प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

caritairañcitaṃ viṣṇostalloke vaiṣṇavaṃ viduḥ | trayoviṃśatisāhasraṃ purāṇaṃ tatprakīrtitam

Translation

വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ ചരിതങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട പുരാണം ലോകത്തിൽ ‘വൈഷ്ണവം’ എന്നു അറിയപ്പെടുന്നു. ആ പുരാണം ഇരുപത്തിമൂന്ന് സഹസ്ര ശ്ലോകങ്ങളുള്ളതെന്ന് പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• चरितैः: by deeds/acts
• चरितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त; √चर् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकम् (भूतकृत्/क्त) — Instrumental plural (by/with deeds)

• अञ्चितम्: adorned
• अञ्चितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अञ्चित (कृदन्त; √अञ्च् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् — adorned/marked

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् — Genitive singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्त्यर्थे (विशेषणरूपेण), एकवचनम्; ‘लोके’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् — that

• लोके: in the world/realm
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् — Locative singular

• वैष्णवम्: the Vaiṣṇava (Purāṇa/text)
• वैष्णवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम् — Accusative singular (as object of ‘viduḥ’)

• विदुः: they know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् — they know/they have known

• त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रम्: twenty-three-thousand (in extent)
• त्रयोविंशतिसाहस्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोविंशति + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः) — consisting of twenty-three thousand

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् — the Purāṇa (text)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘प्रकीर्तितम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् — that

• प्रकीर्तितम्: proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त; √कीर्त् धातु, प्र-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — proclaimed/celebrated

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deduced (enumerative description of Purāṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A manuscript illuminated with scenes of Viṣṇu’s avatāras (Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṃha, Vāmana, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa) while sages declare it ‘Vaiṣṇava’ and note its verse-count.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional remembrance of Viṣṇu through sacred narratives is a recognized path of dharma preserved in Purāṇic literature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya discourse, though this verse itself focuses on Purāṇa identification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it states the defining content and traditional verse-count of the Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa.