Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

यस्य पुत्रः शुचिर्दक्षः पूर्वे वयसि धार्मिकः । विष्णुभक्तिं च कुरुते तं पुत्रं कवयो विदुः

Transliteration

yasya putraḥ śucirdakṣaḥ pūrve vayasi dhārmikaḥ | viṣṇubhaktiṃ ca kurute taṃ putraṃ kavayo viduḥ

Translation

ଯାହାର ପୁତ୍ର ଶୁଚି, ଦକ୍ଷ, ଅଳ୍ପ ବୟସରୁ ଧାର୍ମିକ ଏବଂ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଭକ୍ତି ଆଚରେ—କବିମାନେ ତାହାକୁ ହିଁ ସତ୍ୟ ‘ପୁତ୍ରବାନ୍’ ବୋଲି ଜାଣନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• śuciḥ: pure
• śuciḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'पुत्रः' इति विशेषणम्

• dakṣaḥ: capable, skillful
• dakṣaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• pūrve: in the earlier
• pūrve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'वयसि' इति विशेषणम् (in earlier)

• vayasi: in age (youth)
• vayasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• dhārmikaḥ: righteous
• dhārmikaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• viṣṇubhaktim: devotion to Viṣṇu
• viṣṇubhaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu-bhakti (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + भक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• kurute: does, practices
• kurute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (tam putram)

• kavayaḥ: sages, poets
• kavayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• viduḥ: know, regard
• viduḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda (continuation of discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful boy (or young man) rising before dawn, bathed and clean, offering tulasī and lamp to Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa; elders and sages observe approvingly, signifying ‘kavayaḥ’ endorsement.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kavayaḥ (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True familial success is measured by dharma and Viṣṇu-bhakti—character and devotion outweigh mere biological lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching is ethical/devotional within the Dvārakā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viṣṇu-bhakti (devotional practice toward Viṣṇu) is recommended as a defining virtue.