Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । शृण्वंतु ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे अन्यदेहोद्भवं मम । पुराऽहं शूद्रजातीय आसं ब्राह्मणपूजकः

Transliteration

rājovāca | śṛṇvaṃtu brāhmaṇāḥ sarve anyadehodbhavaṃ mama | purā'haṃ śūdrajātīya āsaṃ brāhmaṇapūjakaḥ

Translation

ਰਾਜੇ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: “ਸਾਰੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਸੁਣਨ, ਮੇਰੇ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਦੇਹ ਤੋਂ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਵਰਤਾਂਤ ਨੂੰ। ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਸ਼ੂਦ੍ਰ ਜਾਤਿ ਦਾ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਸੀ।”

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• śṛṇvantu: let (them) hear
• śṛṇvantu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• anya-deha-udbhavam: arisen from another body (former birth)
• anya-deha-udbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya + deha + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time: formerly)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śūdra-jātīyaḥ: of Śūdra caste
• śūdra-jātīyaḥ: Predicative complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūdra + jātīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• āsam: was
• āsam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• brāhmaṇa-pūjakaḥ: a worshipper of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇa-pūjakaḥ: Predicative complement (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa + pūjaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

King (rājā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇāḥ / Ṛṣayaḥ (assembled sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, with folded hands and lowered gaze, begins recounting his former life as a śūdra devoted to honoring brāhmaṇas; sages listen attentively in a sacred assembly.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śūdra (former birth reference)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual merit is accessible through humility and service; honoring the learned and virtuous elevates one beyond prior limitations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger frame is Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya; this verse begins the king’s backstory leading into tīrtha merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā (reverent honoring/service of brāhmaṇas) is indicated as a dharmic practice.