Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

यः कृष्णाग्रे महाभक्त्या कुर्य्यात्पुस्तकवाचनम् । प्रत्यक्षरं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाशतदानजम्

Transliteration

yaḥ kṛṣṇāgre mahābhaktyā kuryyātpustakavācanam | pratyakṣaraṃ labhetpuṇyaṃ kapilāśatadānajam

Translation

ผู้ใดด้วยศรัทธาอันยิ่งใหญ่ อ่านคัมภีร์ต่อหน้าพระกฤษณะ ผู้นั้นย่อมได้บุญประจักษ์ในทุกพยางค์ เสมอด้วยการถวายทานโคกปิลา (โคสีน้ำตาลอ่อน) หนึ่งร้อยตัว

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• कृष्ण-अग्रे: before Krishna / in Krishna’s presence
• कृष्ण-अग्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अर्थः—‘कृष्णस्य अग्रे’ = in front of Krishna; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• महाभक्त्या: with great devotion
• महाभक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) [महा + भक्ति]
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महती भक्ति)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• पुस्तक-वाचनम्: reading/recitation of a book (scripture)
• पुस्तक-वाचनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुस्तक (प्रातिपदिक) + वाचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पुस्तकस्य वाचनम्)

• प्रति-अक्षरम्: for each syllable
• प्रति-अक्षरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अर्थः—‘प्रत्येकम् अक्षरम्’ = per syllable

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• कपिला-शत-दान-जम्: born of donating a hundred tawny cows
• कपिला-शत-दान-जम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘पुण्यम्’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कपिलानां शतदानात् जातम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija/śiṣya audience addressed as dharma-jijñāsu (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated before Kṛṣṇa’s shrine in Dvārakā, reading from a palm-leaf/book; each syllable visualized as luminous akṣaras rising like sparks, while a symbolic herd of tawny cows appears as the dāna-equivalent.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Kapilā (cow donation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Study and recitation offered as worship becomes a powerful form of charity-like merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, emphasizing reading/recitation in Kṛṣṇa’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pustaka-vācana (devotional scripture reading) before Kṛṣṇa with deep bhakti.