Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । साधु भागवतश्रेष्ठ साधु मार्गप्रदर्शक । यत्त्वया हि परिज्ञातं तन्न जानाति कश्चन

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | sādhu bhāgavataśreṣṭha sādhu mārgapradarśaka | yattvayā hi parijñātaṃ tanna jānāti kaścana

Translation

ଋଷିମାନେ କହିଲେ: “ସାଧୁ, ହେ ଭାଗବତଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସାଧୁ, ହେ ମାର୍ଗପ୍ରଦର୍ଶକ! ତୁମେ ଯାହା ଯଥାର୍ଥ ଭାବେ ଜାଣିଛ, ତାହା ଅନ୍ୟ କେହି ଜାଣେ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; वक्तारः

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• साधु: well done
• साधु: Sambandha (Exclamation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रशंसार्थक निपात (approving particle: ‘well!’)

• भागवत-श्रेष्ठ: O best of devotees
• भागवत-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागवत + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘भागवतश्रेष्ठ’ = among devotees the best

• साधु: well done
• साधु: Sambandha (Exclamation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रशंसार्थक निपात

• मार्ग-प्रदर्शक: O guide who shows the path
• मार्ग-प्रदर्शक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग + प्रदर्शक (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘मार्गप्रदर्शक’ = path-shower/guide

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्तृ/करणभावे (by you)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (indeed)

• परिज्ञातम्: known/ascertained
• परिज्ञातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + ज्ञा (धातु) → परिज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘known/ascertained’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनुवादक (correlative ‘that’)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: ‘anyone’)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhāgavata-śreṣṭha / mārga-pradarśaka (the speaker being praised)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages with matted hair and white garments offer respectful praise to a devoted expounder seated slightly elevated; hands folded, faces serene, indicating transmission of rare knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Bhāgavata (devotee)
• Prahlāda (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is transmitted through realized devotees; humility and inquiry before a knower of dharma is upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as the dialogue bridge leading into Dvārakā’s tīrtha-glories.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the authority of the speaker and prompts further inquiry.