Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

चक्रुर्धर्मकथां पुण्यां राजर्षीणां महात्मनाम् । देवर्षीणां पुराणानां तथान्येषां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

cakrurdharmakathāṃ puṇyāṃ rājarṣīṇāṃ mahātmanām | devarṣīṇāṃ purāṇānāṃ tathānyeṣāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

พวกท่านได้สนทนาธรรมอันเป็นบุญ ว่าด้วยราชฤๅษีผู้มหาตมา เทวฤๅษี คัมภีร์ปุราณะ และมหาบุรุษผู้ยิ่งใหญ่อื่น ๆ ด้วย

Word by Word

• चक्रुः: they did / they performed
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; धातुः—कृ

• धर्मकथाम्: a discourse/story of dharma
• धर्मकथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य कथा)

• पुण्याम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (धर्मकथाम्)

• राजर्षीणाम्: of the royal sages
• राजर्षीणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (राजा चासौ ऋषिः)

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled ones
• महात्मनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• देवर्षीणाम्: of the divine sages
• देवर्षीणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (देवानां/देवः ऋषिः)

• पुराणानाम्: of the Purāṇas / ancient lore
• पुराणानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• तथा: and also / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: 'thus/also')

• अन्येषाम्: of other
• अन्येषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (महात्मनाम्)

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled ones
• महात्मनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Kṣetra (dharma-sabhā locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast rishi assembly on Arbuda: sages seated in semicircles, some with palm-leaf manuscripts; a central speaker; Nimi nearby listening, fasting yet attentive.

Characters & Entities

• muni-gaṇa (sages)
• rājarṣi
• devarṣi
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy conversation (satsaṅga) on dharma and Purāṇic lore is itself meritorious and forms the living channel of sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Arbuda as a place where sages gather and dharma-kathā flourishes, preparing the ground for Jambū Tīrtha’s praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it highlights dharma-kathā (sacred discourse) as a meritorious practice.