Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

यमैश्च नियमैर्युक्ता अहंकारविवर्ज्जिताः । तेषामर्थे वदिष्यामि तव प्रश्नं सुदुर्ल्लभम् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रदेवानां पुराणं कथितं मया

Transliteration

yamaiśca niyamairyuktā ahaṃkāravivarjjitāḥ | teṣāmarthe vadiṣyāmi tava praśnaṃ sudurllabham | brahmaviṣṇvindradevānāṃ purāṇaṃ kathitaṃ mayā

Translation

യമ-നിയമങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തരായി അഹങ്കാരരഹിതരായവരുടെ ഹിതാർത്ഥം, നിന്റെ അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭമായ ചോദ്യം ഞാൻ ഉത്തരം പറയും. ഈ പുരാണം ഞാൻ മുമ്പേ ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ഇന്ദ്രൻ എന്നിവർക്കും ദേവഗണങ്ങൾക്കും ഉപദേശിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.

Word by Word

• यमैः: with restraints (yamas)
• यमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (and)

• नियमैः: with observances (niyamas)
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• युक्ताः: endowed (with)
• युक्ताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; (endowed/connected)

• अहंकारविवर्जिताः: free from ego
• अहंकारविवर्जिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—अहंकारेण विवर्जिताः (devoid of ego)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अर्थे: for the sake (of them)
• अर्थे: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अर्थे = निमित्ते/कृते (for the sake of)

• वदिष्यामि: I will speak
• वदिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रश्नम्: question
• प्रश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सुदुर्लभम्: very difficult (to obtain/answer)
• सुदुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—अतिदुर्लभम् (very hard to obtain)

• ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रदेवानाम्: of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra and the gods
• ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रदेवानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च इन्द्रश्च देवाश्च (of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra and the gods)

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa (ancient account)
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कथितम्: told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (told/related)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (announced as forthcoming subject)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene: the speaker (Śiva/Īśvara implied by later liṅga context) addresses Devī, praising disciplined, egoless seekers; celestial assembly implied by mention of Brahmā-Viṣṇu-Indra.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra
• Devas
• Yama
• Niyama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Egolessness and dharmic discipline (yama-niyama) make one fit for rare and profound teachings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra context continues, though this verse highlights qualifications for instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of yamas and niyamas and the cultivation of humility (freedom from ahaṃkāra).