Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

पञ्चाङ्गानि पुराणस्य चाख्यानमितरत्स्मृतम् । सर्गश्च प्रतिसर्गश्च वंशो मन्वन्तराणि च । वंशानुवंशचरितं पुराणं पञ्चलक्षणम्

Transliteration

pañcāṅgāni purāṇasya cākhyānamitaratsmṛtam | sargaśca pratisargaśca vaṃśo manvantarāṇi ca | vaṃśānuvaṃśacaritaṃ purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam

Translation

ปุราณะมีองค์ห้าประการ ส่วนเรื่องเล่าอื่นใดนอกนั้นพึงจำว่าเป็นเพียงส่วนประกอบ สรรค์สร้าง การสรรค์สร้างซ้ำ วงศ์สกุล มันวันตระ และประวัติวงศ์สืบวงศ์—นี่คือปุราณะที่มีลักษณะห้าประการ

Word by Word

• पञ्चाङ्गानि: five parts/limbs
• पञ्चाङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च अङ्गानि)

• पुराणस्य: of the Purāṇa
• पुराणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आख्यानम्: narrative, account
• आख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इतरत्: other, additional
• इतरत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आख्यानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘आख्यानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्गः: creation
• सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• प्रतिसर्गः: re-creation
• प्रतिसर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• वंशः: lineage, dynasty
• वंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मन्वन्तराणि: Manu-periods
• मन्वन्तराणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• वंश-अनुवंश-चरितम्: accounts of lineages and sub-lineages
• वंश-अनुवंश-चरितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुवंश (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (वंशः च अनुवंशः च तयोः चरितम्)

• पुराणम्: a Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पञ्चलक्षणम्: having five characteristics
• पञ्चलक्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च लक्षणानि यस्य) — ‘पुराणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (dvijas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic teaching scene: the narrator enumerates the five limbs of a Purāṇa, with symbolic panels showing creation, dissolution/re-creation, royal genealogies, Manus, and dynastic sub-stories.

Characters & Entities

• Purāṇa
• sarga
• pratisarga
• manvantara
• vaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches how Purāṇas preserve sacred memory—cosmic origins and dharmic history—through a structured fivefold framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra frames the discourse, but this verse itself defines Purāṇic features rather than praising a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a technical definition of Purāṇic composition.