Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स त्वमाहूय विप्रेंद्रान्धर्मशास्त्रविचक्षणान् । पृष्ट्वा तान्कुरु यच्छ्रेयः पितॄणामात्मना सह

Transliteration

sa tvamāhūya vipreṃdrāndharmaśāstravicakṣaṇān | pṛṣṭvā tānkuru yacchreyaḥ pitṝṇāmātmanā saha

Translation

ଏହେତୁ ଧର୍ମଶାସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ପାରଙ୍ଗତ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ଡାକି, ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ପଚାରି, ନିଜ କଲ୍ୟାଣ ସହ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କର ଯେ ପରମ ଶ୍ରେୟ ହୁଏ, ସେହି କାମ କର।

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (you)
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-प्राय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having summoned)

• विप्रेन्द्रान्: chief Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्रान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; (विप्राणाम् इन्द्राः)

• धर्मशास्त्रविचक्षणान्: skilled in dharma-śāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रविचक्षणान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-शास्त्र-विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; (धर्मशास्त्रे विचक्षणाः) (qualifying विप्रेन्द्रान्)

• पृष्ट्वा: having asked
• पृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having asked)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object of कुरु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which)

• श्रेयः: the best good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; उत्तमफलवाचक (the best good)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• आत्मना: with yourself/by yourself
• आत्मना: Sahakari (Accompaniment/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सह: with
• सह: Sahartha (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual advisor-voice; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen advises the king to summon learned brāhmaṇas; the scene shifts from private counsel to preparation for a formal dharma-sabhā.

Characters & Entities

• vipra (brāhmaṇa sages)
• pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action is guided by śāstra and realized teachers; seeking counsel is itself part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the Arbuda narrative frame later emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā and ritual purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is procedural: summon dharma-expert brāhmaṇas and act after inquiry (praśna) and guidance.