Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
ततो धर्मकथां चक्रे स ऋषिर्नृपसन्निधौ
Transliteration
tato dharmakathāṃ cakre sa ṛṣirnṛpasannidhau
Translation
Kemudian resi itu pun menyampaikan wacana Dharma di hadapan raja.
Word by Word
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
Formअनन्तर/ततः (adverb: then)
dharma-kathāma discourse on dharma
dharma-kathām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक) + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘dharmasya kathā’ (talk about dharma)
cakremade, delivered
cakre:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
ṛṣiḥthe sage
ṛṣiḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
nṛpa-sannidhauin the king’s presence
nṛpa-sannidhau:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sannidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) — ‘nṛpasya sannidhau’ (in the presence of the king)
Speaker
Narrator (implied Purāṇic narration; framed later by Sūta in this passage)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A sage addresses the king seated respectfully nearby; gestures of teaching—raised hand, palm outward; listeners attentive; sacred implements and manuscripts nearby.
Characters & Entities
Ṛ
ṛṣi (sage)N
nṛpa (king)FAQs
Dharma is learned through listening (śravaṇa) to realized teachers; even kings are refined by sacred discourse.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching sacred geography being celebrated in this māhātmya.
No ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on dharma-upadeśa (instruction) as a means of merit and right conduct.