Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

श्रीप्रह्लाद उवाच । श्रूयतां पूजनं विप्राः श्रुतपूर्वं विधानतः । कलौ कृष्णस्य विप्रेन्द्रा यथावदनुपूर्वशः

Transliteration

śrīprahlāda uvāca | śrūyatāṃ pūjanaṃ viprāḥ śrutapūrvaṃ vidhānataḥ | kalau kṛṣṇasya viprendrā yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

Śrī Prahlāda thưa: “Hãy lắng nghe, hỡi các brāhmaṇa—tôi sẽ trình bày việc thờ phụng theo truyền thừa đã được nghe và đúng theo pháp lệnh. Trong thời Kali, hỡi bậc tối thượng giữa các brāhmaṇa, nghi thức thờ Kṛṣṇa đúng pháp sẽ được nói ra tuần tự từng bước.”

Word by Word

• śrīprahlādaḥ: Śrī Prahlāda
• śrīprahlādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-prahlāda (प्रातिपदिक; श्री + प्रह्लाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śrūyatām: let (it) be heard
• śrūyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘let it be heard’

• pūjanam: worship; act of worship
• pūjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

• śrutapūrvam: heard before; previously known
• śrutapūrvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta-pūrva (प्रातिपदिक; श्रुत + पूर्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• vidhānataḥ: according to the prescribed procedure
• vidhānataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): ‘according to rule/prescription’

• kalau: in the Kali age
• kalau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṛṣṇasya: of Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• viprendrāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• viprendrāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra-indra (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

• yathāvat: properly; duly
• yathāvat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anupūrvaśaḥ: in proper sequence
• anupūrvaśaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anupūrvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘-शस्’ (distributive/adverbial) प्रत्ययान्त: ‘in due order, sequentially’

Speaker

Śrī Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ / viprendra-s (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda begins formal instruction: he asks the brāhmaṇas to listen as he narrates the traditional, ordinance-based worship of Kṛṣṇa for Kali-yuga, in proper sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Kṛṣṇa
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, dharma is preserved through accessible, properly performed devotion to Kṛṣṇa guided by received tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Dvārakā Māhātmya; the worship instructions relate to approaching Dvārakā and its divine order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prahlāda announces a ‘proper, sequential’ (yathāvat, anupūrvaśaḥ) method of Kṛṣṇa worship suited to Kali-yuga.