Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । महेश्वरस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु पार्थिवसत्तम । अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि पूर्ववृत्तं कथांतरम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | maheśvarasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇu pārthivasattama | atra te kīrtayiṣyāmi pūrvavṛttaṃ kathāṃtaram

Translation

ପୁଲସ୍ତ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ମହେଶ୍ୱରଙ୍କ ମାହାତ୍ମ୍ୟ ଶୁଣ। ଏଠାରେ ମୁଁ ତୁମକୁ ପୂର୍ବବୃତ୍ତ—ପ୍ରାଚୀନ କଥାର ଆଉ ଗୋଟିଏ ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗ—ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରିବି।

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — speaker/subject

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — “said”

• maheśvarasya: of Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvarasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — “of Maheśvara”

• māhātmyam: greatness; glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — object of śṛṇu

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — “listen”

• pārthiva-sattama: O best of kings
• pārthiva-sattama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/निर्धारण) “श्रेष्ठः पार्थिवानाम्”

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — “here”

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (enclitic) — here dative “for you/to you”

• kīrtayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kīrtayiṣyāmi: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु) + causative (णिच्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — causative “I will narrate/proclaim”

• pūrva-vṛttam: the earlier account/event
• pūrva-vṛttam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — कर्मधारय “पूर्वं वृत्‍तम्” (former event) object of kīrtayiṣyāmi

• kathā-antaram: another story; another episode
• kathā-antaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय sense “another story/episode”

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Maheśvara-māhātmya (narrative preface)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva-sattama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya, radiant and composed, begins instruction to a king seated respectfully; the scene emphasizes oral transmission—gesture of teaching, palm-leaf text, and a calm hermitage atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māhātmya (sacred glorification) is a purāṇic method for transmitting devotion and dharma through remembered holy history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The focus is Maheśvara’s māhātmya within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting; the exact tīrtha is not specified in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse functions as a narrative preface inviting attentive listening (śravaṇa).