Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

उपविष्टाः सभामध्ये कथाश्चक्रुः पृथग्विधाः । देवर्षिपितृभूतानां राज्ञां चापि प्रकीर्तने

Transliteration

upaviṣṭāḥ sabhāmadhye kathāścakruḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ | devarṣipitṛbhūtānāṃ rājñāṃ cāpi prakīrtane

Translation

सभामध्ये बसून त्यांनी नानाविध कथा केल्या—देवर्षी, पितर, भूतगण तसेच राजे यांचेही कीर्तन व वर्णन करीत.

Word by Word

• upaviṣṭāḥ: having sat; seated
• upaviṣṭāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√viś (धातु) → upaviṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past active/perfective participle in sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sabhā-madhye: in the middle of the assembly hall
• sabhā-madhye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sabhā (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sabhāyāḥ madhyam)

• kathāḥ: stories
• kathāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• cakruḥ: they made; they held (talks)
• cakruḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• pṛthak-vidhāḥ: of various kinds
• pṛthak-vidhāḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (pṛthak vidhāḥ)

• devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānām: of divine seers, ancestors, and beings
• devarṣi-pitṛ-bhūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devarṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (devarṣayaḥ ca pitaraḥ ca bhūtāni ca)

• rājñām: of kings
• rājñām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also)

• prakīrtane: in the recounting/praise
• prakīrtane: Adhikaraṇa (Topic/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-√kīrt (धातु) → prakīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Ugraśravā (Sūta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Pāṇḍavas sit in a grand hall, engaged in varied discussions, invoking stories of sages, ancestors, spirits, and kings—an encyclopedic, contemplative atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavas
• Sabhā (assembly hall)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred remembrance and discourse (kathā, prakīrtana) preserve dharma by keeping exemplary lives and cosmic orders in view.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the setting is an assembly hall at Indraprastha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it highlights prakīrtana (reverent recounting) as a dharmic practice.