Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततः कथाप्रसंगेन इन्द्रः प्राह चतुर्मुखम् । कौतुकेन समायुक्तः पप्रच्छ नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tataḥ kathāprasaṃgena indraḥ prāha caturmukham | kautukena samāyuktaḥ papraccha nṛpasattama

Translation

پھر گفتگو کے سلسلے میں اندر نے چہار رُخ والے (برہما) سے کہا۔ تجسّس سے بھر کر، اے بہترین بادشاہ، اس نے سوال کیا۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kala/Anantara (Subsequent time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-आर्थक (thereupon/then)

• कथाप्रसङ्गेन: by/through the course of the discussion
• कथाप्रसङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा + प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘कथायाः प्रसङ्गः’

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; आह-रूप)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चतुर्मुखम्: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc.), एकवचन; ‘चत्वारि मुखानि यस्य’ इति (ब्रह्मा)

• कौतुकेन: with curiosity
• कौतुकेन: Karana/Hetu (Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• समायुक्तः: endowed/filled (with)
• समायुक्तः: Karta (as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + युज् (धातु) → समायुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त; इन्द्रः इति विशेष्य

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (addressing the king; reporting Indra’s action)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpasattama (king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, crowned and radiant, leans forward with respectful curiosity, addressing Brahmā; Brahmā turns slightly, attentive; surrounding devas and ṛṣis pause, listening.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Brahmā (Caturmukha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is approached through humble inquiry; even Indra seeks clarification from Brahmā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative bridge within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces a question-answer sequence.