Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

विविधेषु च संभूतान्वंशेषु द्विजसत्तमान् । कथाश्रवणसोत्कण्ठानुपविष्टान्महा त्मनः

Transliteration

vividheṣu ca saṃbhūtānvaṃśeṣu dvijasattamān | kathāśravaṇasotkaṇṭhānupaviṣṭānmahā tmanaḥ

Translation

اس نے مختلف نسلوں میں پیدا ہونے والے برہمنوں کے بہترین لوگوں کو دیکھا—عظیم النفس حضرات وہاں بیٹھے تھے، مقدس حکایت سننے کے لیے بےتاب اور یکسو۔

Word by Word

• विविधेषु: in various
• विविधेषु: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसके (अत्र ‘वंशेषु’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• संभूतान्: born, arisen
• संभूतान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘द्विजसत्तमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वंशेषु: in lineages, families
• वंशेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• द्विजसत्तमान्: the best of the brahmins
• द्विजसत्तमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (of implied ‘dadarśa’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः: द्विजेषु सत्तमाः (best among brahmins); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कथाश्रवणसोत्कण्ठान्: eager to hear the stories
• कथाश्रवणसोत्कण्ठान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + स-उत्कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः: कथाश्रवणे सोत्कण्ठाः (eager for hearing stories); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘द्विजसत्तमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• उपविष्टान्: seated
• उपविष्टान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+विश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘द्विजसत्तमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa sages of diverse lineages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred assembly at Prabhāsa: venerable brāhmaṇas of diverse gotras seated in orderly rows, faces intent, eyes fixed on the speaker’s seat, the atmosphere of a tīrtha-sabhā charged with anticipation for Purāṇic narration.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Rāma
• dvijasattama
• kathā-śravaṇa
• mahātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (reverent listening to sacred narrative) is upheld as a dhārmic practice, especially within a tīrtha where the mind easily turns toward merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, shown as a living center of sacred discourse and learned communities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is kathā-śravaṇa (listening to sacred accounts), though no formal vow or donation is specified in this verse.