Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पुनः संजायते मर्त्यो ब्राह्मणो वेदवित्तमः । वेदविद्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञो व्याख्यातत्त्वार्थवित्तमः

Transliteration

punaḥ saṃjāyate martyo brāhmaṇo vedavittamaḥ | vedavidyārthatattvajño vyākhyātattvārthavittamaḥ

Translation

അവൻ വീണ്ടും മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണനായി ജന്മിക്കുന്നു; വേദജ്ഞന്മാരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ. വേദാർത്ഥതത്ത്വം അറിഞ്ഞ്, യഥാർത്ഥ അർത്ഥം നിർണ്ണയിച്ച് വ്യാഖ്യാനിക്കുന്നതിൽ അത്യുത്തമനാകും.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• संजायते: is born again
• संजायते: Kriyā (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपद; ‘संजायते’ = is born/comes into being

• मर्त्यः: a mortal (man)
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मर्त्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• वेदवित्तमः: best knower of the Veda
• वेदवित्तमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक); वित्तम = ‘वित्’ (विद्-धातोः) + तमप् (superlative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative) विशेषण; समासः षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः ‘वेदं वेत्ति’ इति

• वेदविद्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञः: knower of the true meaning of Vedic learning
• वेदविद्यार्थतत्त्वज्ञः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + विद्या + अर्थ + तत्त्व + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ‘वेदविद्यायाः अर्थतत्त्वं जानाति’ इति

• व्याख्यातत्त्वार्थवित्तमः: supremely knowledgeable of the true purport of exposition
• व्याख्यातत्त्वार्थवित्तमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याख्या + तत्त्व + अर्थ + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक); वित्तम = ‘वित्’ (विद्-धातोः) + तमप्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः ‘व्याख्यायाः तत्त्वार्थं वेत्ति’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deduced (continuation of prior dāna-phala)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/ṛṣi audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary sequence: after Śiva-loka, the soul descends to be reborn as a radiant brāhmaṇa child; later shown as a Veda-knower teaching students, holding a manuscript and pointing to meanings.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda
• Vedic learning
• Exposition (vyākhyā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not only materially auspicious; it is portrayed as a cause for inner refinement, leading to wisdom and elevated birth conducive to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya setting, focusing on the karmic fruit rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new prescription here; it states the resulting fruit—rebirth endowed with Vedic insight and interpretive excellence.