Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

संक्षेपात्कथय स्नेहाद्दृष्टादृष्टफलोदयम् । धर्मान्मनुजशार्दूल ब्रूहि सर्वानशेषतः

Transliteration

saṃkṣepātkathaya snehāddṛṣṭādṛṣṭaphalodayam | dharmānmanujaśārdūla brūhi sarvānaśeṣataḥ

Translation

அன்பினால் சுருக்கமாகக் கூறுங்கள்—தர்மத்திலிருந்து எழும் காணத்தக்கவும் காணாதவும் ஆகிய பலன்களின் உதயம். மனிதர்களில் புலியே, எல்லாத் தர்மங்களையும் எஞ்சாமல் விளக்குங்கள்.

Word by Word

• saṃkṣepāt: briefly
• saṃkṣepāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saṃkṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/तृतीया-प्रयोगः): ‘संक्षेपात्’ = संक्षेपेण/संक्षेपतः (adverbial: briefly)

• kathaya: tell / narrate
• kathaya: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• snehāt: out of affection
• snehāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sneha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭa-adṛṣṭa-phala-udayam: the arising of seen and unseen results
• dṛṣṭa-adṛṣṭa-phala-udayam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + adṛṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः: (दृष्टं च अदृष्टं च) फलम् तस्य उदयः = फलोदयः; ‘दृष्टादृष्टफलोदयम्’ = तं फलोदयम्

• dharmān: duties / dharmas
• dharmān: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• manujaśārdūla: O tiger among men
• manujaśārdūla: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः: मनुजेषु शार्दूलः (श्रेष्ठः)

• brūhi: speak / tell
• brūhi: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘धर्मान्’

• aśeṣataḥ: completely / without remainder
• aśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘अशेषतः’ = निरवशेषेण/सम्पूर्णतः (entirely)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prahlāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages, affectionate and earnest, request a concise yet complete exposition of dharmas and their visible/invisible fruits; Prahlāda is addressed as ‘manuja-śārdūla’, emphasizing his heroic moral stature.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (Sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma yields both immediate benefits and subtle, unseen merit; the sages seek a complete but concise teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya, the sacred praise-context of Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it is a request to enumerate dharmic practices and their results.