Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

किं जातैर्बहुभिः पुत्रैर्गणनापूरकात्मकैः । वरमेको भवेत्पुत्रश्चक्रतीर्थं तु यो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

kiṃ jātairbahubhiḥ putrairgaṇanāpūrakātmakaiḥ | varameko bhavetputraścakratīrthaṃ tu yo vrajet

Translation

Ano ang silbi ng maraming anak na lalaki kung bilang lamang ang dinaragdag? Mas mainam ang iisang anak—yaong tutungo sa Cakratīrtha.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use?)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle), वाक्यप्रारम्भे

• जातैः: by (having) been born
• जातैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त-प्रयोगे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘जात’ = born ones (sons)

• बहुभिः: many
• बहुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पुत्रैः)

• पुत्रैः: sons
• पुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• गणना-पूరక-आत्मकैः: who merely fill up the count
• गणना-पूరక-आत्मकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गणना (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थे—‘गणनां पूरयन्ति’ इति; विशेषण (qualifying पुत्रैः)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Sambandha (Predicate)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (predicative indeclinable: ‘better’)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पुत्रः)

• भवेत्: may be/is preferable to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चक्रतीर्थम्: to Cakratīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (contrastive particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A disciple/son addressed as ‘putra’ (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder elder instructs a young son: many sons are futile if they lack dharma; one devoted son sets out toward Cakratīrtha at Dvārakā, with the sea and temple flags in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Quality of dharma matters more than social quantity; a single devoted pilgrim-son surpasses many indifferent heirs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, as a defining pilgrimage that reflects true filial and spiritual responsibility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage to Cakratīrtha (implying performance of ancestral/merit-gaining rites there).