Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

द्रष्टुं धर्मसुतं दृष्टः प्रणतः प्रांजलिः स्थितः । स विज्ञाय तदाऽयान्तौ नरनारायणावुभौ

Transliteration

draṣṭuṃ dharmasutaṃ dṛṣṭaḥ praṇataḥ prāṃjaliḥ sthitaḥ | sa vijñāya tadā'yāntau naranārāyaṇāvubhau

Translation

Vì muốn được yết kiến Dharmasuta (Yudhiṣṭhira), người ấy được thấy đứng đó, cúi mình đảnh lễ, chắp tay cung kính. Bấy giờ nhà vua nhận ra hai vị đến chính là Nara và Nārāyaṇa, liền hiểu rõ sự hiện diện của họ.

Word by Word

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) + tumun (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• dharmasutam: the son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• dharmasutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharma-suta = son of Dharma)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: was seen / appeared
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• praṇataḥ: bowed, prostrated
• praṇataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (State/भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (bowed down)

• prāṃjaliḥ: with folded hands
• prāṃjaliḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāñjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (with joined palms)

• sthitaḥ: stood
• sthitaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vijñāya: having understood/recognized
• vijñāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• yāntau: (the two) coming
• yāntau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Dual)

• nara-nārāyaṇau: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• nara-nārāyaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (Nara and Nārāyaṇa)

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the dual)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) (narrating)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer/audience within the māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a palace or camp-gate near the sacred Prabhāsa region, a reverent figure stands with folded hands; Yudhiṣṭhira recognizes the arriving pair as Nara and Nārāyaṇa, their presence luminous yet restrained.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmasuta (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True recognition of the divine is joined with humility—bowing and folded hands are outward signs of inner dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya frames the narrative, presenting such encounters as spiritually instructive within a tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; devotional conduct (praṇāma, añjali) is exemplified.