Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

विष्णोर्वक्रचरित्राणां संख्या कर्तु न शक्यते । तथापि कथ्यते तुष्टैर्हृष्टैस्तैर्यदनुष्ठितम्

Transliteration

viṣṇorvakracaritrāṇāṃ saṃkhyā kartu na śakyate | tathāpi kathyate tuṣṭairhṛṣṭaistairyadanuṣṭhitam

Translation

จำนวนลีลาอัศจรรย์อันแยบคายของพระวิษณุนั้นนับประมาณมิได้ ถึงกระนั้น สิ่งที่เหล่าผู้ปีติยินดีและเริงร่าได้กระทำ ก็ยังถูกเล่าขานอยู่ ณ ที่นี้

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वक्रचरित्राणाम्: of the wondrous/crooked deeds
• वक्रचरित्राणाम्: Sambandha (genitive dependent on saṃkhyā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: वक्र + चरित्र (कर्मधारय: वक्रं चरित्रं), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संख्या: count/number
• संख्या: Karta (subject of śakyate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to make/do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (purpose complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजन (to do/make)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is possible)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• अपि: even/though
• अपि: Sambandha (concession)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (concessive: even/also)

• कथ्यते: is narrated
• कथ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (is told)

• तुष्टैः: by the satisfied (ones)
• तुष्टैः: Visheshana (of taiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• हृष्टैः: by the delighted (ones)
• हृष्टैः: Visheshana (of taiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana/Agent (by them)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma/Pratipādya (that which)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• अनुष्ठितम्: was performed
• अनुष्ठितम्: Kriya (relative predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मणि (performed)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator gestures to an assembled audience, acknowledging the countless exploits of Viṣṇu; behind them, faint vignettes of ocean-churning and Mohinī foreshadow the coming tale.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine līlā transcends human calculation; remembering it nurtures devotion and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter glorifies Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa; this verse functions as a theological bridge within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it underscores the merit of hearing/reciting sacred narrative.