Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

वक्तुं प्रचक्रमे बाल्याद्यद्वृत्तं पूर्वजन्मनि । नमस्कृत्य गुरुं पूर्वं ब्राह्मणान्क्षत्रियांस्तथा

Transliteration

vaktuṃ pracakrame bālyādyadvṛttaṃ pūrvajanmani | namaskṛtya guruṃ pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇānkṣatriyāṃstathā

Translation

แล้วเขาจึงเริ่มเล่าเหตุการณ์แห่งชาติปางก่อนตั้งแต่วัยเยาว์; ก่อนอื่นน้อมคำนับพระอาจารย์ แล้วน้อมคำนับพราหมณ์และกษัตริย์ (กษัตริยะ) ทั้งหลายด้วย

Word by Word

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थः (to speak)

• प्रचक्रमे: began; set about
• प्रचक्रमे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्

• बाल्यात्: from childhood
• बाल्यात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (ablative), एकवचनम्

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative)

• वृत्तम्: event; occurrence; account
• वृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्

• पूर्वजन्मनि: in the former birth
• पूर्वजन्मनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम्

• नमस्कृत्य: having saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; ‘नमस्कृत्य’ (having saluted)

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb), क्रमवाचकः (first/before)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम् (plural)

• क्षत्रियान्: Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), बहुवचनम्

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb/particle), समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थकः (also/likewise)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; a character begins speaking—speaker not explicitly named in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (implied frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator begins recounting a former-birth story; he first bows to his guru, then to assembled brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas seated in a semi-circle, with King Bhoja presiding.

Characters & Entities

• guru
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Any sacred narration should begin with humility—honoring the guru and the custodians of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is a narrative transition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse models respectful salutations (namaskāra) before speaking.